HANGZHOU, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Amid the ongoing urban renewal drive in China, residents in an east China neighborhood have spearheaded a new model by raising funds for rebuilding their dilapidated residential block.
Unlike the government-led model that typically offers residents new apartments and cash compensation, this project saw its 548 homeowner households raise 499 million yuan (about 74.32 million U.S. dollars), more than 80 percent of the reconstruction bill, with the government covering the rest.
The compound with 13 previously run-down buildings, known as Zhegong Xincun, sits in the downtown Gongshu District of Hangzhou, capital of the affluent Zhejiang Province. These six-story walk-ups were transformed into seven mid-rise buildings, surrounded by green spaces and shared facilities, in February last year.
Hangzhou was an early adopter of this approach. It is among initiatives piloted across Chinese cities, from Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province, to avoid large-scale land acquisition and heavy investment from developers.
Such pilot projects address long-standing hurdles for urban regeneration in China. Small scattered plots often deliver slim returns for commercial developers, and matching residents' compensation expectations has frequently stalled renewal plans, said Wu Songtao, professor at the School of Architecture and Design of Harbin Institute of Technology.
According to a State Council executive meeting held in May, China is shifting from the stage of large-scale incremental expansion to a stage focused on improving the quality and efficiency of existing urban stock.
"Instead of large-scale demolition, the goal now is to revitalize existing buildings, factories, neighborhoods and public spaces," said Zheng Degao, vice president of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.
Zheng added that all beneficiaries, namely government, businesses and property owners alike, should share both the costs and the benefits.
But translating this vision into practice was no easy task. Renewing old neighborhoods involves many interests and is prone to disputes, said Li Yin, an official with Gongshu District.
Previous attempts to renew Zhegong Xincun all failed due to residents seeing only limited benefits and strains on public finances.
Built in the 1980s and 1990s as faculty housing for Zhejiang University of Technology, the compound sits in a prime location in central Hangzhou, surrounded by shopping areas, metro stations and a large hospital.
However, over the years, safety hazards mounted. Stiff windows were difficult to close, and building settlement warped door frames and locks, sometimes forcing residents to climb over walls to enter their homes.
"The plaster crumbled at the slightest touch. We lived in fear every day," said a resident surnamed Yu.
The university once carried out reinforcement work, but the effect was limited. Because the buildings continued to tilt and crack due to ongoing building settlement, such measures offered only temporary relief.
A previous housing-relocation plan failed to win broad support. According to residents, a 2014 survey on demolition and reconstruction, and another attempt in 2018, both came to nothing.
"The old idea was that the government should cover everything, from relocation to renovation," one resident said. "But as previous plans kept falling through, we realized we had to do it ourselves."
The turning point came in April 2023, when the subdistrict community office reached out to residents for their opinions on starting a resident-led renewal project.
With support from local policies on renovating old urban neighborhoods, Gongshu District developed and adopted a resident-led renewal model for the compound. The initial stage of the renewal project was launched in mid-2022. The district set up a special task force to coordinate departments, study relevant policies and win public support via explanations.
Local officials said that the harder part was reaching a consensus. "The core of the entire project lies in community engagement, shifting residents' mindset from being asked to renovate to wanting to renovate," Li said.
A voluntary committee of 13 representatives was formed. After consulting all households, it submitted an application and entrusted local authorities to coordinate and initiate the renewal.
By late August 2023, all but one of the compound's 548 homeowner households had signed agreements, bringing the signing rate to 99.82 percent, thus paving the way for the renewal plan to move forward.
In May 2024, the last household came forward to sign before delivery. "This last resident later told me, 'I watched for a long time, and I could see the project is fair,'" Li said.
Yu calculated that her original 76-square-meter apartment, plus an additional 19 square meters and a parking space, brought her total payment to nearly 980,000 yuan.
"I originally bought the apartment for 1.51 million yuan. Even with this expense, my total cost remains below the market price, and I have more living space. I am also a beneficiary," she said.
The project, though, has benefited from the community's demographics. Experts noted that although Zhegong Xincun is an aging community, its residents, mostly Zhejiang University of Technology faculty members and their families, are relatively better off, a factor that helped the project move forward.
When the project was launched, the community also had a large elderly population, with 208 residents aged 80 or above and 36 aged 90 or above. Some feared a long construction period might keep them from returning, while others with children overseas faced the daunting task of relocating alone.
To address these concerns, the working group provided comprehensive support. Ambulances were arranged to escort several residents over 90 on the moving day. Transitional housing was secured and rented to elderly residents, refurbished with age-friendly features such as shower seats and toilet grab bars.
The compound was handed over last year, with about 70 percent of households having moved in, and they have begun renovating their new homes.
The approach of Zhegong Xincun aligns with China's grand roadmap to advance urban renewal as the country endeavors to create safer, greener and more comfortable cities, while fostering new growth momentum.
Under the urban renewal plan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China aims to renovate 500,000 units of dilapidated urban housing and 115,000 old urban residential communities. It supports resident-led renewal and on-site demolition and reconstruction of old housing, while exploring sustainable operation models.
"This resident-led renewal model has opened a new path for urban renewal in China," said Xu Lin, a professor at Zhejiang University, noting that as China's urbanization enters a new phase, cities are no longer expanding through large-scale demolition and construction, but focusing on improving living conditions for residents.
"At the end of the day, it's about giving people a better life," said Xu. ■
