Urban renewal projects build livable, green and smart city

Residents enjoy tea at a teahouse in Nanhu Community in Chongqing's Nan'an District. [China Daily]

Every morning for the past five years, 79-year-old Luo Licai would embark on a two-stop subway ride to meet his companions at Sanyi Shuyuan, a quaint teahouse nestled in Nanhu Community in Chongqing's Nan'an District.

The ambience of the teahouse is alive with the aroma of brewing tea and the enchanting melodies of chirping birds, creating a tranquil retreat in the heart of the bustling city.

The 18 teahouses in the community, including Sanyi Shuyuan, are a renowned gathering spot for local tea drinkers such as Luo. They showcase successful local efforts in urban renewal and community governance in the nearly four-decade-old community.

Early in 2001, the community utilized its teahouses to bring together Party members, residents and volunteers, and established a residents' consultative mechanism.

They also introduced a third-party operating team to facilitate community governance, implementing plans to mediate neighborhood disputes on issues such as sewage pipeline renovations and elevator installations. This has greatly improved local residents' quality of life.

According to Yu Jian, Party secretary of Nanhu Community, these teahouses, transformed from residential homes and run by locals, attract over 200,000 visits each year and generate revenue of more than 2 million yuan (283,000 U.S. dollars), creating jobs for 21 residents.

China has been implementing such urban renewal projects to build livable, green, resilient and smart cities, as well as bolster the country's high-quality development and create better homes, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Urban renewal involves the reconstruction of public spaces and facilities that are usually unsuitable for development, creating a new urban development model to help people lead better lives.

Situated in the vibrant commercial center of Nan'an, the community consists of 81 buildings across eight blocks.

It was constructed in the 1980s primarily to house employees of local factories.

Yu said the restructuring and closure of local enterprises over the years presented significant challenges for the community, including the absence of property management firms, neighborhood committees and insufficient funds for repairs. There was also poor infrastructure, including inadequate sewage facilities, extensive road deterioration, unclean public spaces and a shortage of recreational areas.

She noted the management challenges were exacerbated by the fact that over half of the community's 22,000 residents are elderly and migrant workers.

Senior residents make handicrafts at Weiyi Workshop in Nanhu Community. [China Daily/Deng Rui]

In recent years, the local government has prioritized the community's transformation as a key social project — supporting the community in enhancing infrastructure development, separating rainwater and sewage, constructing paved roads and establishing greenbelts. Furthermore, 26 public spaces have been created on unused land, featuring facilities such as teahouses, volunteer stations and service centers.

To enhance space utilization and cater to the cultural needs of its residents, in 2015 the community established Weiyi Workshop, or "small benefits" in English, fostering 47 social organizations including art troupes, postage stamp collector associations, handicraft workshops, and calligraphy and painting societies, with over 6,000 volunteers participating in activities.

The community has received several national honors in recent years, including for National Model Harmonious Community and National Best Community Volunteer Service. Its practice was listed as one of the top 10 innovative examples of social governance in China in 2017.

Since 2013, Nan'an has revitalized nearly 70 old residential communities. This extensive effort has benefited over 30,000 families and about 80,000 residents, significantly enhancing their living conditions and surroundings.

Nationwide, China has invested 2.6 trillion yuan in over 66,000 projects designed to renovate urban infrastructure, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said in July.

The ministry called on local governments to improve management models to achieve sustainable development in urban renewal projects, and will launch pilot projects and guide local governments in implementing the initiative in light of local conditions.

The Ministry of Natural Resources recently issued a notice to support the renovation of old residential communities, calling for the fine-tuning of land-use policies and streamlining of approval procedures.

(Source: China Daily)

Editor: Wang Shasha