China advances urban micro-renewal for more livable cities

The coastal city of Weihai, located in eastern China's Shandong Province, has emerged as a favored tourism destination, particularly during last summer's holiday season. Last year, the city welcomed over 56 million tourists, nearly 20 times its total population.

Among the city's attractions, Torch 8th Street has been a significant draw for many visitors, spanning 770 meters in length. Gently sloping from south to north, the street leads to a breathtaking view of the endless sea, captivating those who walk its path.

This swift gain in popularity is no surprise to Li Jiutai, the designer behind the street's renewal. Since its micro-renewal started in 2019, the street has become increasingly favored by visitors. Enhancements include preserving its original charm while updating building exteriors, adding casual dining and installing artistic signs.

Micro-renewal involves targeted, small-scale enhancements in urban areas that bolster the existing urban landscape without necessitating widespread redevelopment. Such projects include revitalizing public spaces, upgrading infrastructure and improving community facilities to boost residents' quality of life and the area's aesthetics.

To support the micro-renewal process, the Weihai government assigned expert teams to monitor the reconstruction plans for major streets and districts slated for renovation. Li was among those invited to contribute to this effort. A few years into the project, he relocated his residence to this area.

"I particularly wanted them to feel that their visit here was worthwhile," Li explained. "In our work, we consider ourselves part of the community when talking to local merchants. In this way, bridging the government's requirements with people's needs become possible."

Li visits the area three or four times a week to collect feedback from tourists and locals and develop feasible improvement plans. However, during the renovation process, conflicts can emerge between the designer's professional vision and the preferences of tourists.

"At the beginning, when we engaged Doctor Li's team for the planning of Torch 8th Street, our emphasis was on achieving a fresh and clean look. The primary color scheme for the building facades was predominantly white," said Sun Lin, who led the street renovation project.

"However, there was an issue with a mosaic building. In the context of our primarily white color scheme for the building facades, it stood out and appeared somewhat abrupt. Our initial plan was to repaint its entire exterior facade."

Through research, the team found that many tourists were particularly drawn to this mosaic building, appreciating how it popped in photos and videos. Ultimately, they chose not to alter it drastically and kept its original look.

"Urban renewal is inherently a process of ongoing optimization of a city's development, so it is a perpetual journey," said Li Ruiling, director of the Weihai Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

"Our approach avoids extensive demolition and random new projects; that's not our vision of urban renewal. We aim to enhance existing potential, creating vibrant spaces and scenery," she explained. "In renovations, we guide rather than control, drawing insights from the public to enrich our neighborhood's appeal and style."

An old community takes on a new look

Urban renewal not only beautifies communities but also enhances residents' convenience and quality of life. In Chengdu's Chenghua District, the once chaotic Shuxiangli market has become a popular gathering place for the community through organized planning and renewal.

The market used to be a real headache for community secretary Zhang Chao due to recurring garbage buildup and poor sanitation, causing neighborhood disputes and safety concerns. Despite this, residents and vendors preferred it for daily shopping and selling, given its convenience over the distant hypermarket.

Zhang noted that the community, encompassing both young and old residents, has a wide array of needs for community services. Yet, as most of the 31 residential courtyards in the area were constructed in the 1980s, the space is limited and cannot offer a full suite of services.

Since 2020, the team led by He Zhisen, a professor at the School of Architecture at South China University of Technology in charge of the renewal project, observed that market stall owners typically close their businesses around noon, leaving the space vacant. Capitalizing on this, they repurposed the area into a recreational space for residents in the afternoons.

Now, every afternoon, market stalls transform into poker tables for the elderly and ping-pong tables for children, turning the space into a communal hub for socializing. With a simple curtain, the area also serves as a community cinema, offering film screenings to the public.

In recent years, Chongqing has implemented various urban renewal strategies to repurpose old streets and buildings into tourist spots and hubs for emerging industries. Other cities in China are also enhancing livability. For instance, Xiamen has tackled traffic congestion with targeted improvements, while Nanjing and Quanzhou are blending historical preservation with urban renewal.

Initiatives to establish more "pocket parks," small public spaces between 400 to 10,000 square meters, are also underway as part of the urban micro-renewal efforts. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development aims to construct 4,000 of these parks this year, enhancing green space accessibility. Currently, nearly 30,000 pocket parks exist nationwide.