Governing urban redevelopment: A case study of Yongqingfang in Guangzhou, China: Fid-Bau Portal

Governing urban redevelopment: A case study of Yongqingfang in Guangzhou, China

Wang, Manqi / Zhang, Fangzhu / Wu, Fulong

Abstract Chinese cities have experienced large-scale urban demolition and renewal. An extensive body of literature describes urban demolition and displacement through the dynamics of property-led redevelopment and gentrification. Rising social contestation is recently noted in the literature. However, a pilot project in Guangzhou introduced an approach of ‘micro-rehabilitation’ or ‘small-scale renovation’ (weigaizao) in 2015. Since then, it has become an exemplar of the new urban redevelopment policy in China. In this pilot project, generating land profits is not a policy objective. Rather, employment creation and neighbourhood conservation are explicitly required. We find that although the project is operated by Vanke, the major property developer in China, the change of policy from demolition to minor refurbishment and rehabilitation reflects the role of the state. Despite preserving the traditional housing style, the neighbourhood has been transformed from residential uses to offices, shops, museums and hotels for tourists. This micro-rehabilitation, in fact, has generated significant impacts.

Highlights • A policy transformation from large-scale demolition to micro-rehabilitation • The project is operated through a Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) model. • Developer as a market instrument to achieve the state-centred regeneration • The project reveals the tokenistic nature of public participation. • Micro-rehabilitation has significant impacts on local residents’ everyday life.