Study on Urban Regeneration Decision Making Map: A Case Study of the Core Cities of Pearl River Delta in China

Abstract

In the urban stock development stage, it is essential to clarify urban regeneration characteristics, market maturity, urban regeneration potential, and development direction of objective cities for enterprises. However, previous studies lack concrete analysis for the urban regeneration system and potential, particularly with respect to quantitative research. This study evaluated the urban regeneration decision making map of the core cities of the Pearl River Delta in China (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Dongguan), including system analysis and potential space evaluation. For the system analysis, through the horizontal comparison of the four target cities' regeneration system based on the sustainability of local policies, it was found that Shenzhen has the highest degree of perfection of urban regeneration system, followed by Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Dongguan. Especially in the three aspects of protecting public interests, reserving industrial development space, and urban sustainable development, Shenzhen has formulated a series of supporting urban renewal laws and regulations, with the most standardized urban renewal management and the most mature urban renewal market. For the potential space evaluation, the spatial factors affecting urban regeneration potential were selected for the superposition analysis to obtain the distribution and data characteristics of the target cities' regeneration potential with the Analytic Hierarchy Process. It was found that Dongguan has the highest proportion of high potential regeneration land, accounting for 29.4%, while Shenzhen has the lowest proportion of high potential regeneration land. Regarding the four objective cities, it is more difficult to carry out urban regeneration project in Shenzhen and Guangzhou due to complex control conditions and earlier projects’ accomplishment. The system of Zhuhai and Dongguan needs to be further adjusted in practice and there is a relatively more flexible space for these two cities. The current land development intensity in Dongguan far exceeds that in Zhuhai, and the demand for its urban renewal is more urgent. Therefore, this study suggests that Dongguan's urban regeneration market should become the focus of enterprises.