Decoding the decision-making in the new wave of urban redevelopment in China: A case study of a bottom-up industrial land redevelopment in Shenzhen

Abstract

Since 2008, the urban redevelopment in China has entered a new era mainly characterised by the new redevelopment model proposed and practised in Guangdong province. In the new wave of urban redevelopment towards a more inclusive type of governance, the roles of various agents or stakeholders in the decision-making processes have changed correspondingly. Building upon Healey and Barrett’s structure and agency approach in the land and property development process, this paper develops an analytical framework specifically to explore the decision-making processes and mechanisms in this urban redevelopment experiment conducted in China. The empirical basis of this paper is a pioneer city in urban redevelopment within Guangdong province, Shenzhen. Through exploring the redevelopment trajectory of a local collective-owned factory, the roles played by different stakeholders at each stage of the redevelopment process are clarified. The conflicts and compromises between land owners and the developer on the distribution proportion of potential profits, and between the district government and the developer on the inclusion and provision of public facilities, have revealed the key decision-making mechanisms of collective-owned industrial land redevelopment in China, which offer valuable insights and experiences for industrial land redevelopment in other cities.