Neighborhoods In China Research Articles

Deciphering the new governance experiment of dilapidated neighborhoods in China: A case of Xi'ma New Village, Wuhan

Approximately 100 million residents in Chinese cities inhabit former work-unit neighborhoods and municipal housing areas. Since the 1990s, the state has retreated from the direct provision of neighborhood services. However, as the alternative approach, commercialized property management has largely failed in these neighborhoods, leading to their gradual decline into “dilapidated neighborhoods.” Consequently, the poor living conditions and inadequate services severely constrained the well-being of these residents. Recently, new governance experiments have emerged in dilapidated neighborhoods across Chinese cities, warranting significant attention and exploration. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews conducted from 2019 to 2023 in Xi'ma New Village, Wuhan City, this research investigates the evolving governance shaped by affordable property management. Our findings indicate that, first, when sponsoring dilapidated neighbourhoods for affordable property management, the state's rationale is to address the crisis and alleviate social tensions; second, state leadership is reinforced through a multi-scalar governance network surrounding property management; third, in this case, the process of how the state achieved the above goals through deploying and mobilizing market and society exemplifies “state entrepreneurialism” in Chinese cities. Thus, the study offers nuanced insights, particularly at the neighborhood level, enabling readers to understand the evolving governance modalities in Chinese cities, especially in the context of (re)increasing state control and leadership.

The impact of social network embeddedness, TPB, and danwei system on residents' participation intention in old neighborhood regeneration

Residents' participation is crucial for sustainable old neighborhood regeneration. Residents' intentions to participate in the regeneration are low in China, resulting in unsustainable neighborhood development problems. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the drivers of residents' participation. Residents' behavioral mechanisms are deeply embedded in their social networks, especially in acquaintance social networks typical of old neighborhoods in China. By constructing a mediated moderation model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and danwei system and taking the old neighborhood regeneration in Xi'an as a case study, this paper investigates the paths and mechanisms of the social network embeddedness, TPB, and danwei system on residents' participation intention. The results show that social network embeddedness can improve residents' intention to participate in regeneration through both direct and indirect pathways, and its indirect effect is much larger than the direct effect. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control significantly and positively mediated the contribution of social network embeddedness on participation intention. However, the specific mediating effect of attitude is significantly smaller than the other two. The danwei system has a significant moderating effect in the first stage of the relationship between social network embeddedness and participation intention. These imply that the extrinsic social factor of social network embeddedness is internalized as a driving force for convergence and motivation of residents' participation intentions mainly through the normative pressure and exchange of experiences between acquaintances and that the danwei system reinforces this extrinsic-intrinsic facilitation process through the danwei's "physical presence." These findings provide revelatory countermeasures for exploring the factors that motivate residents to participate actively in neighborhood regeneration and encourage their involvement at the intervention level.

Achieving Neighborhood-Level Collaborative Governance through Participatory Regeneration: Cases of Three Residential Heritage Neighborhoods in Shanghai

Residential heritage neighborhoods in China are experiencing a transformation from large-scale demolishment, which is associated with relocating residents, to small-scale neighborhood regeneration, and distinctive models of participatory regeneration are emerging. Participatory regeneration is increasingly considered to be an effective way to achieve multiple goals in urban development; however, little research has investigated the impacts of participatory regeneration on achieving neighborhood-based collaborative governance. This study aims to explore which mechanisms associated with participatory regeneration facilitate or constrain neighborhood-based collaborative governance, using case studies in Shanghai. Based on the investigation of three nuanced pathways in participatory regeneration, this study compares four dimensions associated with participatory regeneration (i.e., participatory decision-making, inclusion, collective problem-solving, and power-sharing) and explores key mechanisms that are applicable for achieving collaborative governance in different scenarios, aiming to enhance social development and social sustainability in future. The findings indicate that although grassroots government played vital roles in participatory heritage neighborhood regeneration through financial support and supervision strategies, facilitating mechanisms could still be observed for achieving collaborative governance. Furthermore, this study provides suggestions for planners in building collaborative governance in other developing areas which are experiencing rapid urbanization with strong state interventions.

“Art district without artists”: urban redevelopment through industrial heritage renovation and the gentrification of industrial neighborhoods in China

ABSTRACT China’s shift from a socialist to a market economy has resulted in deindustrialization and the emergence of industrial heritage. Despite extensive research on state-led (re)development, limited knowledge exists on the changing role of state work-units (SWUs). Based on the case of Dahua 1935, the research reveals how the top-down production of art districts reshapes traditional work-unit urbanism. It also offers new insights into the gentrification of industrial neighborhoods under the combined forces of the state, SWUs, and private developers. The research finds that the gentrification of industrial neighborhoods cannot be fully captured by either art/artist-led gentrification or state-led gentrification. The changing role of Dahua company from a social provider in pre-reform China to an entrepreneurial and predatory organization in post-reform China has contributed to the remarkable urban transformation. The tension between socialist legacies and capitalist modes of urban (re)development poses a challenge to sustainable industrial heritage-led redevelopment in China.

Evolution of residents' cooperative behavior in neighborhood renewal: An agent-based computational approach

The cooperative behavior of residents is complex and influenced by their complicated social relationships. This complexity is especially noticeable in neighborhood renewal, so the government does not know how to promote residents' cooperative behavior. Therefore, this study proposes an agent-based model (ABM) to investigate the development of residents' cooperative behavior in neighborhood renewal. Based on a questionnaire survey among residents of old neighborhoods in China, the parameters of ABM were determined in this study. Then, controlled experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of general trust among residents and government control of neighborhood renewal on cooperation patterns in renewal projects. In addition, this study examines the effects of different types of social network structures (small-world, scale-free, and random networks) on the evolution of residents' cooperative behaviors. The simulation results show that when residents' initial willingness to agree to renewal projects is high, their close social relationships need to be managed by the government to achieve better outcomes. Conversely, if initial willingness is low, residents' close relationships may pose a challenge to the government. In addition, government-led renewal projects should be encouraged to a greater extent. This study confirms that the different social network structures have an influence on the development of residents' cooperative behavior. The results of this study provide concrete evidence for understanding the factors that contribute to the emergence of residents' cooperative behavior and for studying the effects of government intervention on neighborhood renewal projects. In addition, the results of this study provide theoretical support for future studies of residents' social network structures.

Exploring surface urban heat island (SUHI) intensity and its implications based on urban 3D neighborhood metrics: An investigation of 57 Chinese cities

Excessive urban temperature exerts a substantially negative impact on urban sustainability. Three-dimensional (3D) landscapes have a great impact on urban thermal environments, while their heat conditions and driving factors still remain unclear. This study mapped urban 3D neighborhoods and their associated SUHI (surface urban heat island) intensities in summer daytime across 57 Chinese cities, and then explored their relationships, driving factors as well as implications. Nine categories of urban 3D neighborhoods existed in Chinese cities and the 3D neighborhood of High Density & Medium Rise (HDMR) contributed the largest share of urban areas. The distribution of 3D neighborhoods varied among cities due to their distinct natural and economic traits. The average SUHI intensity can amount to 4.27 °C across all Chinese 3D neighborhoods. High Density & Low Rise (HDLR) and HDMR presented higher SUHI intensities than other 3D neighborhoods in China. Urban green space (UGI) and building height (BH) had great influences on SUHI intensities. The relative contribution of UGI decreased with the increase of building density and building height, but BH presented the opposite trend. The interaction of urban 3D landscapes and function zones led to highly complicated urban thermal environments, with higher SUHI intensities in industrial zones. Besides, the SUHI intensities of 3D neighborhoods presented great diurnal and seasonal variations, with higher SUHI intensities in HDHR and HDMR at nighttime in winter and summer. What's more, urban residents may suffer unequal heat risk inside cities due to the deviations of SUHI intensities among different 3D neighborhoods. It could be a highly effective way to mitigate SUHI effects in cities by increasing urban greening and improving urban ventilation.

The death of urban China

The death of urban China

Community governance in rural villager resettlement neighborhoods in China: rural-urban divide, civic engagement, and state control

In China, to meet the demand of expansive urbanization, the state expropriates rural land from village collectives and offers resettlement arrangement to landless villagers. The aim of this study is to advance our understanding of the community governance in government-designated resettlement neighborhoods in Chinese cities. By employing participatory observations and key informant interviews with community association staff and resettled villagers in four neighborhoods in Shanghai, this research documents and evaluates an emerging multi-scalar civic coalition formed to maximize the capacity of community governance. The study finds that the new collation is maintained through strategic networks, information exchange, resource sharing, and reciprocal collaborations. Critiques of the regime spotlight its three shortfalls: the conflicts among regime partners which threatens the stability of the coalition; the justice issue behind differentiated standards that creates divides among community members; and the lack of citizen connection and support that questions the resilience of the regime.

Neighborhood-Based Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms among Adults: Evidence from Guangzhou, China.

This study examined the association between neighborhood-based social capital (NSC) and depressive symptoms in the context of urban neighborhoods in China, with special attention given to the association heterogeneity across socioeconomic groups. Drawing on cross-sectional data collected from 39 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, this research demonstrated that adults’ depressive symptoms were higher among those with lower cognitive (trustworthiness, reciprocity, and cohesion within a neighborhood) and structural (social network and participation) dimensions of NSC. Further analysis showed that the negative association between NSC and depressive symptoms was significantly heterogeneous across socioeconomic groups. Specifically, this negative relationship was more prominent in the lower socioeconomic classes than in the upper socioeconomic classes, indicating that the lower accumulation of NSC among disadvantaged groups may aggravate depression unequally across social classes. In addition, the negative association between social participation and depressive symptoms was stronger for people who are older or unemployed. The findings of this study not only provide new evidence concerning the significance of the beneficial effects of NSC in the Chinese context, but also, more importantly, highlight that NSC plays a crucial role in creating mental health inequality across social classes. Thus, the relevant social interventions including fostering neighborhood relationships and social activities should be carefully tailored against the backdrop of community building during the urbanization process. The implications of our study for urban governance to promote healthy cities are discussed.

Changes in Chinese Adults' Physical Activity Behavior and Determinants before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To investigate the changes in Chinese adults’ physical activity (PA) behavior and determinants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 1028 adults (aged 19–59 years) were recruited from 127 urban and rural neighborhoods in China using stratified three-stage probability sampling. Data collection was conducted in December 2019 and July 2020. Results: Compared with the data before the pandemic, individuals’ weekly moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) decreased significantly from 139 min to 120 min, seven months after the outbreak (p = 0.01), with female and rural populations displaying a more significant decrease (p = 0.02). Overall, 13.7% of participants met the PA guidelines (World Health Organization) both before and during the pandemic, while 21.8% met the guidelines only before the pandemic and 18.1% increased their PA and met the PA guidelines during the pandemic. A total of 46.4% did not meet the PA guidelines before or during the pandemic. Determinants of PA behavior change before and during the pandemic included sports skills, self-determined motivation and support from sports organizations. Conclusions: The Chinese adults’ PA levels decreased significantly from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among the female population. It is suggested that the enhancement of self-determined motivation, improvement of sport skills, and support from sports organizations might be effective in facilitating individuals’ engagement in PA during the pandemic.

Determinants of bicycling for transportation in disadvantaged neighbourhoods: Evidence from Xi’an, China

Abstract Over the past decade, there has been a strongly increased interest in investigating bicycling behaviour. However, the vast majority of these studies have been limited to Western (North-American and European) contexts and draw evidence from the general population. Much less studies of bicycling behaviour have been carried out in East- Asian contexts and focus on lower social-economic population. Relying a survey data from Xi’an, China, this study investigates the personal, spatial, social and psychological factors associated with bicycling for transportation in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In contrast to the results of many previous studies, this study finds that social norms have the greatest effect on bicycling behaviour, while attitudes toward bicycling do not affect bicycling. Among the neighbourhood environment characteristics, this study finds neighbourhood aesthetics, bicycle infrastructure, and access to subway stations are important factors in promoting utilitarian bicycling in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in China. Finally, an interesting finding of our study is that the spatial characteristics that improve attitudes toward bicycling (such as access to amenities and street connectivity) do not lead to more bicycling, due to their positive effect of walking. Overall, these findings offer important policy implications regarding designing effective interventions to promote bicycling in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and Chinese cities, and the special policy consideration of stimulating walking and bicycling jointly.

Health-related quality of life and determinants in North-China urban community residents

BackgroundThe objectives of this study were to investigate the HRQoL of residents living in central urban areas (CUA) and developing neighborhoods (DN) areas of North-China and to examine the relationship between health conditions and the physical and mental components of quality of life.MethodsA stratified random sample was taken and health survey scoring system questionnaire SF-36 was used to conduct the HRQoL survey among community residents in the two selected districts in 10 cities. A general questionnaire was also administered with questions that collected general information, population demographic characteristics and health behaviours, social relationships and perception of life satisfaction.ResultsFive thousand eight hundred eighty-one questionnaires were returned from 6059 invitations with a effective response rate of 97%. The residents in DN had a higher score of physical function, role limitation due to physical problems and vitality than those living in CUA. The prevalence of several chronic diseases was lower in DN’s residents than CUA’s residents. Age, presence/absence of chronic diseases, leisure time exercise, regular daily routine, sleep quality, appetite, family and social relationships and life satisfaction were significant determinants of HRQoL.ConclusionsResidents living in newly developed neighborhoods in China while keeping some habits and lifestyles of their original rural communities are healthier in terms of chronic diseases and HRQoL. Together with other risk factors chronic diseases are an important determinant on HRQoL. Several healthy habits and behaviors such as having a regular daily routine and exercising during leisure time improved HRQoL in Chinese urban communities. Targeted policies of public health based on these findings can better the health-related quality of life.

‘Peasants are peasants’: Prejudice against displaced villagers in newly-built urban neighbourhoods in China

This article explores contemporary prejudice against displaced villagers in urban China, drawing on a project on urban sprawl in Yinchuan where rural villages are absorbed into the urban area. The research demonstrates that media discourses about chaiqian baofahu and suzhi that stigmatise displaced villagers are being actively reproduced in everyday life in newly built urban neighbourhoods. Urbanites’ prejudice against displaced villagers can be viewed as, on the one hand, a result of the feelings of relative deprivation from unfavourable comparisons with displaced villagers, while on the other hand, a response to maintain a positive ingroup identity – in this case, an urban and ‘civilised’ way of life. The article then examines the effectiveness of contact as a means for reducing prejudice, and reveals that intergroup contact in urban neighbourhoods does not necessarily create mutual understanding and trust. The article highlights the structural causes of prejudice and concludes by arguing for social transformation to challenge and reduce prejudice.

Research on Healthy Neighborhood Evaluation System Based on the Combined Perspectives of Urban Planning and Public Health

Neighborhoods are places where people spend the most time in their lives. Neighborhoods have a decisive impact on the residents' health. With several important tasks, including the transformation of old neighborhoods, the maintenance of existing neighborhoods, and the construction of new neighborhoods in the future, a scientific and reasonable evaluation standard is urgently needed to guide the development of healthy neighborhoods. To build the evaluation system, this paper first clarifies the principles for selecting evaluation indicators, which include: 1) the indicators are selected from a humanistic perspective; 2) the pathways between neighborhoods environment and health outcomes are deeply considered; 3) the indicators are selected from multiple scales. Secondly, based on the combined perspectives of urban planning and public health, it identifies the indicators that affect the residents' health in neighborhoods and searches the literature through the quality assessment to provide evidence to support the accuracy and effectiveness of the indicators. Finally, it proposes prospect to the evaluation, including 1) it is urgent to improve and utilize the healthy neighborhoods based on the Chinese condition; 2) advanced technologies need to be widely applied in neighborhoods in the future; 3) the transitions in cities should be considered in the future development of neighborhoods. It hopes that relevant researchers and government leaders to realize the importance and urgency of healthy neighborhoods to build more healthy neighborhoods in China.

The variegated role of the state in different gated neighbourhoods in China

Housing commodification has led to the development of gated neighbourhoods in China. However, the types of gated neighbourhoods are very different from each other, and include ‘commodity housing’, affordable housing and resettlement housing. They might not be the same as the commonly known ‘gated communities’, which are characterised by both gating and private governance. Using three cases in the city of Wenzhou, we analyse the motivations for development, service provision and property management, and neighbourhood control. In commodity housing, the state is still visible and self-governance is limited, while the real estate developer leads land development and property management. In affordable housing, the state regulates the standards and the prices of services, while the developer is the provider of these services. In resettlement housing, the state uses a state-owned enterprise to relocate households, while the homeowners’ association and the service charges are ineffective. All these cases demonstrate the important and variegated role of the state and provide a more nuanced understanding of these gated neighbourhoods.

Disparities in the provision of aging-friendly communities in old and new urban neighborhoods in China

Purpose Aging-friendly environments have been encouraged to develop at the city level, district level and community level in China. In the process of rapid urbanization, the state of aging-friendly communities in old and new neighborhoods is disparate. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate aging-friendly communities and identify the disparities in old and new neighborhoods. Design/methodology/approach A total of 1,172 elderly respondents completed the survey. Of these, 576 seniors lived in an old community developed before 2000, and 596 lived in a new community developed after 2000. In total, 17 physical environment factors and 10 social environment factors were identified. Findings The results indicated that public spaces, facilities and transportation in old neighborhoods were inferior to those in new neighborhoods. Most social environment factors in new neighborhoods achieved higher satisfaction levels than those in old neighborhoods. The satisfaction levels of aging-friendly community factors in both old and new neighborhoods were below the expectation levels of elders. Practical implications In order to improve physical aging-friendly environments in old neighborhoods, it is suggested that full use is made of school facilities and the renovation of old buildings. The locations of public transportation stations in new neighborhoods are recommended to be revised within 5-min walking distances of senior residents. Both old and new neighborhoods are encouraged to improve social aging-friendly environments by increasing the coverage of medical services and creating multiple approaches to recreation activities. Originality/value These findings have empirical significance for urban planners and policy makers, in regard to identifying disparities between old and new neighborhoods, and understanding the equitable allocation and distribution of urban resources.

Driving Force of Grassroots Self-governance in Beijing’s Neighborhoods: Social Capital, Community Network and Community Service Motivation

Placed at the bottom of China’s urban governance system, residents’ committees led by street offices are not only responsible for welfare provision but also imposing sociopolitical control on residents at grassroots society. With a large number of floating population flooding into Beijing in recent years, the demographic structure of its neighborhoods becomes increasingly diversified, which is likely to cause some latent social instabilities. Consequently, more and more residents’ committees are authorized to establish community work stations to underpin the function of grassroots governance and shift administrative responsibilities from superior governments. Since urban neighborhoods in China are actually an acquaintance society in the “differential mode of association (差序格局)”, the self-enforcement and self-governance of community work station depends on acquaintanceship and interaction between local residents, residents’ committees and community work stations. This article intends to explore the operation of grassroots self-governance by a case of Panjiayuan Neighborhood in Chaoyang District of Beijing. The empirical study based on mixed methods of qualitative interview and quantitative survey has revealed that community work stations led by resident’s committees is an arena of self-governance and its operational mechanism is driven by social capital under the mediator of community network, within which social capital will be accumulated and proliferated in the neighborhood, and resident’s motivation for voluntary cooperation will be intensified as well.

Collective Civic Petitions in Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Study between Two Different-Tier Chinese Cities

This paper engages with civic development in urban neighborhoods in China after the period of reform that began in 1978. Examining the collective civic petitions that have occurred in urban neighborhoods, the paper offers a comparative analysis of changing trends, internal mechanisms, and their spatial distribution between two different-tier cities. Data pertaining to the collective civic petitions was drawn from open archives in two municipal bureaus, and related to the years 2013 to 2015. The data was then split into three types of petition typology—claim, protest, and hybrid. Certain similarities and differences emerged from the analysis relating to the types of petition that have occurred against different petition counterparties, namely, state authorities, real developers, and property management companies. Similarities among the two cities could be capable of indicating advancing urban civic developments with internal mechanisms among petition typology and contexts of individual petitions. Differences among the two cities could be related to various differences in their urban contexts, and may also reflect different levels of citizen civic consciousness and behavior.

Informal Density: Animating Historical Neighbourhoods

Awareness of the value of historical neighbourhoods in China's cities is growing. But how can they be successfully integrated in forward‐looking plans for urban development? URBANUS, a design practice and think‐tank based in Beijing and Shenzhen, has been leading the way in finding architectural solutions to the country's urban challenges. Hui Wang, one of its co‐founders, profiles URBANUS's approach through three recent projects that have injected new life, diversity and community cohesion into one of Beijing's hutong districts.

Emotional well-being and social support in social housing neighbourhoods in China.

ObjectiveThis study investigated the effect of the number of close friends (within and outside of social housing neighbourhoods) on the emotional well-being of men and women in social housing neighbourhoods in China.MethodsData (n = 535) were collected in 13 social housing neighbourhoods in Guangzhou from September to December 2013 using the random sample method. The t-test, chi-square test, and linear regression analysis were used to analyse the factors influencing residents’ emotional well-being.ResultsHaving a greater number of close friends living within the social housing neighbourhood had a significantly positive association with the respondents’ emotional well-being (regression coefficient = 0.473). The number of close friends living in nearby neighbourhoods was only positively related to women’s emotional well-being (coefficient = 0.433).ConclusionsThese results highlight the importance of friendship for residents’ emotional well-being. Especially for women, friendship outside the social housing neighbourhood is essential for good mental health. This conclusion is based on analysis of cross-sectional data, and reflects the directionality of social associations. The mental health of the poor warrants greater attention in China.