Abstract: Along with the regional economic development on the Loess Plateau, urbanization is obviously sped up, the quantity of cities and towns is increasing and the urban area is enalrged rapidly. In 1985, there had been 36 cities/towns on the Loess Plateau, and the urban population had been 17. 0543 million persons and occipied 20.8% of the total. Up to 1997, the quantity of the cities/towns had been increased to 57, and the urban population had increased to 33.6905 million persons and occupied 37.3% of the total population in this area. This paper discusses the present situation of development of the cities/towns, and the conpcept and composition of the subruban eroded environment. The subruban eroded environment means the environment conditions affecting soil erosion to a certain degree in the suburban areas of county towns, prefectural and provincial cities as well as the industrial and mining areas. It is considered that the suburban eroded environment is charaterized by fragility, complicated composition, violent human activities, easy variability, etc. The guiding ideology, some measures and models are put forward for controlling the suburban eroded environment on the Loess Plateau.

Key words: the Loess Plateau, suburban eroded environment, control measure