BEYOND THE STATE: NEW FORMS OF HOUSING GOVERNANCE IN CHINA

Abstract

The issue of governance has rapidly become a central research area. However, little research exists in the housing context. Reform in China has significantly changed the way in which housing is governed. It leads to efforts that seek alternative governance mechanisms beyond that centred on the state and has created a mix of institutions and the interaction of different modes of coordination. Market becomes an increasingly predominant form and co-operative solutions are widely adopted. Work units not only act as an economic entity but also as a structure of housing governance. This paper locates the issue of governance within wide disciplines. It first focuses on the changing forms of governance from a theoretical perspective, and then identifies new patterns of housing governance in China.