Exploring community resilience based on co-produced micro-regeneration projects in China: Two case studies

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to answer the question: How can community micro-regeneration projects in Chinese cities be situated and contextualized as particular kinds of practices to build resilient communities? Amidst rapid urbanization and social transformation over the past four decades, historical areas in Chinese cities have faced neglect, exacerbating inequalities and marginalization. The emerging strategy of micro-regeneration, emphasizing public participation and co-production, addresses this issue by revitalizing small community spaces using local resources and empowering grassroots efforts. This research contextualizes micro-regeneration within the global discourse on community resilience, highlighting communities’ agency and collaborative strength in adapting to change. Through the analysis of co-productive micro-regeneration cases in Beijing and Shanghai, this study offers insights into resourcefulness and the transformative potential of resilience, shedding light on China’s urban regeneration shift toward co-production and heightened social focus.

KEYWORDS:

• Community resilience
• micro-regeneration
• resourcefulness
• transformation
• production of space

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to all the interviewees who generously shared their insights, as well as Professor Yun Qian at Beijing Forestry University for his invaluable suggestions on this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Issues arising during the urban development process such as environmental pollution, housing shortages, traffic congestion, and social isolation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tongfei Jin

Tongfei Jin is a post-doc researcher at College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, Shanghai. She graduated from Beijing Forestry University with a BE degree in Urban and Rural Planning and graduated from University of Sheffield with an MA in Urban Design and a PhD in Urban Studies. Tongfei researches in two main areas: (1) planning policies in China, the definition, development and impact of community resilience in the process of urban and community regeneration in China, and the co-production procedure as well as multi-stakeholders’ collaboration in urban regeneration; (2) landscape perception, especially the visual-audio interaction aiming to improve well-being in the context of urban regeneration in China.

Yuhan Shao

Yuhan Shao is an associate professor at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, Shanghai. Her research interests include landscape planning and design, landscape big data construction, restorative landscape system and urban green and well-being.