Shifts in governance modes in village redevelopment: A case study of Beijing Lugouqiao township

Abstract

China has experienced a rapid urbanization process, under which the urban population has increased from 170 million to more than 900 million in the past four decades. This study explores why such an unprecedentedly rapid process of urban transformation has strengthened rather than weakened the state's power in local governance. The study draws from an in-depth case study in Beijing Lugouqiao Township, where the state local has reorganized its direct intervention into twenty villages that are becoming urban neighborhoods due to land acquisitions for village redevelopment. Based on intensive research in these villages, the core of this study adopts a micro-historical approach to analyze how the local state, village cadres, ordinary villagers, and other actors have contested to cope with the challenges and problems arising from the village redevelopment process. The findings explain how the local state has been able to regain its control over urbanizing villages through its strategic interventions in two institutional arenas. The findings of this research shed new light on the regional diversity of village redevelopment and its impact on local governance modes. Moreover, the obtained results also contribute to better policy-making in many areas, such as social welfare provisions, which are critical to enhancing the well-being of land-losing villagers and building community capacities for urban transformation.