Abstract: Traditional protection and control methods are difficult to adapt to the novel and complex forms of urban power grids, because of large-scale distributed generation, electrified transportation, energy storage and power electronic equipment. Recently, researchers have proposed new methods and technologies to adapt to the problems caused by the novel forms. Accordingly, by analyzing the operation and fault characteristics of novel urban power grids, this paper discussed the key challenges including condition monitoring, fault characteristics, protection methods, fault location, recovery control, and optimization control. Therefore, the key technologies were elaborated of novel urban power grids to solve the problems in the key challenges. Finally, in view of transparent urban power grids, the coordination of protection and control and new grid networking technologies, the ideas of protection and control were recommended.