My research examines how recent education and hukou reforms in Nansha District, Guangzhou, reflect the shifting logic of China’s urbanization—from spatial expansion to people-centered development. By focusing on access to public education among different hukou groups (local returnees, Guangzhou residents, and outside migrants), this study explores whether local implementation of “inclusive” policies remains welfare-oriented, as promoted by the central government, or becomes a selective tool for attracting talent. Through policy analysis and semi-structured interviews, it seeks to reveal how these reforms shape new forms of social mobility and stratification in contemporary Chinese cities.