The Changing Process from Demolition to Comprehensive Renovation of the Urban Village in Shenzhen under the Urban Renewal Policy

Abstract

This research aims to examine the changing process in urban renewal policy in Shenzhen, a typical precursor of China’s land system, and explore its relationship with urban villages (informal spaces), which have been an important spatial feature of China’s rapid urbanization. The results show that there are three important phases of urban planning policy change. In the first phase, a period of nationalization and dualistic urban space formation led by the government. In the second phase, developers accelerated urban renewal in the form of ‘demolition and redevelopment.’ In the third phase, public housing was complemented by low-cost living space and the transformation of urban villages into a significant trend of ‘comprehensive renovation (zonghezhengzhi)’ with the retention of buildings and renovation. As demonstrated by recent policy changes, the preservation of the diversity of urban space is instructive for urban development.