Revisiting entrepreneurial governance in China’s urban redevelopment: a case from Wuhan

Abstract

ABSTRACT The unprecedented scale and varied forms of urban redevelopment in China provide an experimental field for understanding the transformation of urban governance. Noting that existing studies have often focused on coastal or developed Chinese cities, this study examines urban redevelopment in Wuhan, an inland city. We use the Erqi Riverfront Business District (RBD) redevelopment project as a case to examine the evolving entrepreneurial governance in Wuhan. We found that the making of RBD is featured by an absolutely dominant role of the local state, with public and private partnerships formed at a later stage. Both financialization and planning centrality have been used by the local state to fulfill its long-term vision of urban development. This study produces grounded knowledge to deeper understand varied entrepreneurialism and its modality for emerging Chinese cities. By articulating the significance of local contexts, it also contributes to a more nuanced understanding of urban entrepreneurial governance.