The actual implementation of the open-oriented reconstruction on housing blocks: a case study of Changchun, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT The construction of housing blocks in China went through an unusual phase from 2016 to 2019, the concept of open housing blocks which is different from accustomed gated ones actually guided the residential transformation. This study attempts to elucidate the actual implementation of residential transformation in Chinese cities during that groping phase when guided only by vague concepts before the promulgation of new specific design criteria. It mainly involves two aspects: the spatial characteristics of target housing blocks and the transformation measures. Twenty-four samples of reconstructed housing blocks were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling, then five spatial variables (scale, form, layout, internal road network, and relation with streets) were classified to obtain the commonalities and characteristics of residential forms. Three reconstructed approaches and their combinations in the samples (boundary demolition, road reconstruction, and open state related to surrounding plots) were also captured and clustered to extract the types and causes for transformation patterns. It is found that in the absence of specific implementation guidelines, the renovation methods were made minor adjustments by cases, but a rigid “open” state was pursued overall, although this radical openness is not appropriate for housing blocks with different morphological structures and physical conditions.