Abstract Urban regeneration has emerged as a critical strategy for addressing housing shortages and spatial inefficiencies in rapidly urbanizing megacities. However, many urban regeneration approaches are market-driven and often prioritize economic growth over social equity, leading to persistent gaps in affordable housing delivery. This study investigates the institutional barriers to affordable housing provision in Shenzhen, China—a pioneer in market-oriented urban regeneration—through a neo-institutional economics (NIE) lens. Combining policy analysis and 26 semi-structured interviews with government officials, developers, and residents, the research identifies three interconnected institutional obstacles: (1) ambiguous property rights rooted in the rural-urban dual land system, which prolongs negotiation and approval processes; (2) high transaction costs arising from fragmented governance and bureaucratic complexities; and (3) misaligned incentives among stakeholders that prioritize commercial gains over public welfare. Empirical findings reveal that over 80% of urban village regeneration projects face delays exceeding one year due to tenure disputes, while 70% of developers spatially marginalize affordable housing to maximize profits. These dynamics form a self-reinforcing “institutional trap,” where path dependency on land-finance regimes and weak regulatory constraints perpetuate housing inequity. The study contributes to urban scholarship by adapting insights from New Institutional Economics into an integrative tripartite analytical lens (“institutional structure–transaction costs–behavioural choices”, STB) that traces cascading transaction costs across project stages and links them to actors’ strategic, normative and reputational behaviours in Shenzhen’s market-driven regeneration regime. It challenges the assumption that market efficiency aligns with social goals and underscores the need for institutional reforms to reconcile growth with equity. Policymakers must address structural contradictions, such as rigid land ownership regimes and decentralized governance, to break the low-equilibrium trap. The findings hold global relevance for megacities grappling with similar tensions between market-driven regeneration and inclusive development.
Land serves as a crucial repository of resource elements, and enhancing the green use efficiency of urban land (GUEUL) is essential for attaining sustainable development. Based on 296 cities in China from 2006 to 2022, this study explored the relationship between land system innovation and GUEUL by integrating multi-source data, ArcGIS analysis, the EBM-DEA model, and the DID model, and elucidating the temporal trend and spatial utilization characteristics of GUEUL in China. Based on the natural experimental scenario of the pilot reform of China’s urban construction land use approval system, this study finds through in-depth analysis of the double-difference model that the vertical transfer of land approval authority has fundamentally optimized the development pattern of GUEUL, and that this positive impact is mainly reflected in two dimensions: on the one hand, it reduces the systematic transaction costs, and on the other hand, it enhances the density of industrial spatial agglomeration. Second, the lower the initial level of infrastructure and the lower the degree of dependence on land finance, the more significant the decentralization of land approval power in the promotion of GUEUL. Currently, China is undergoing a swift phase of urbanization and industrialization, and this study provides policy support for improving the comprehensive efficiency of green land use and promoting high-quality and sustainable development of the region.
Urbanization in China has transitioned from an era of urban construction focused on incremental land development to an era of urban renewal focused on stock land development. Implementing urban renewal and achieving high-quality development has become a significant challenge for urban development in the second half of China's urbanization process. In response to this challenge, experts and scholars from relevant academic fields were invited to explore and discuss the fundamental issues of how urban renewal should be implemented under the new historical conditions and value orientations. The key aspects and solution pathways of this issue were discussed, with a focus on the following areas: the institutional and strategic issues that impact urban renewal, the practical and technical questions of how urban renewal is carried out, and the potential negative effects arising from urban renewal. The paper has extensive discussions and reflections on these topics. Based on the main viewpoints of the invited experts, urban renewal under the background of high-quality development transformation needs to pay attention to the following key issues. First of all, the goals of urban renewal should be determined synthetically with the full consideration of the national development strategies pertaining to urban development, with the effort to promote the innovation of urban renewal system in the areas of spatial planning, land supply and management, development models, financing, and public participation. Second, it is suggested that new models of urban renewal driven by the combined efforts of government, market, and society needs to be established to ensure the publicness, efficiency, and fairness of urban renewal projects. In particular, the government should play a role of guiding and encouraging through decentralization and empowerment; the role of market should pay attention to the advantages of cooperation between private capital and state-owned enterprise capital; the society should play a role by activating the subjective role of property rights owners. Third, with the aim to promote a people-centered development, the damage of urban renewal to historical and cultural protection and adverse effects of gentrification it brings should be regulated and avoided. There is a need to enhance exploration of the urban renewal models beneficial to historical and cultural protection and social justice. This paper concludes by calling on scholars from multiple disciplines including geography, resources and environmental sciences, planning, and management to jointly promote research of urban renewal theories that fit to the Chinese path to modernization, with the aim to make Chinese contribution to theories on global urban renewal.
(English) Hegemonic organization of space and architecture as its essential means respond to political and economic intentions whose determination is out of most people’s reach. Representations of dominant practices are embedded in the order and form of space, reaching the spaces and practices of everyday life. The reform of architecture alone has been understood as insufficient in addressing the imbalance of power, indicating the necessity of more fundamental changes in the societal context that architecture depends on. The possible politics of space that would be based on decentralization and inhabitants’ self-determination have been approached theoretically. However, investigations into architectural practices that are, in fact, taking place in counter-hegemonic contexts are few. This study investigated architecture that emerges within the prefiguration of social change, focusing on social movements whose autonomous politics are characterized by horizontal, egalitarian, and non-capitalist principles. The research questions were: What are the characteristics of architectural decision-making, and, what are the characteristics of the architecture carried out in occupied, largely self-built autonomous geographies? The research was based on grounded theory and was guided by simultaneous collection and analysis of data as well as theoretical sampling. Data was collected in three different autonomous geographies in Central Europe. The methods of data collection were participant observation, drawing, mapping, and interviews. The analysis was based on qualitative coding and followed the constant comparative method. The study found first that, in the examined geographies, the collective organization of space is carried out in a direct democratic, transparent manner. Collective decision-making highlights the direct participation of everyone in relevant decisions, from the founding principles of organization to the specific patterns and forms of space. Second, the collective organization of space is voluntary and partial. It is combined with decentralization of decision-making and individual autonomy of intervening in space. Autonomy facilitates a certain freedom to transform space and the social relations implied within, beyond their collective determination. In the examined geographies, spatial organization develops through simultaneous collective and autonomous interventions in a partially non-planned manner. Third, the inhabitants question the property of space and the permanence of architectural form. The open, common, and malleable nature of space enables its transformation according to horizontal lines, referring directly to the inhabitants present. The findings provide new insights into an architecture based on the politics of participation. While the study supports previous theorizations, one of its main contributions is the elaboration of architectural participation as it relates to the shifting negotiation between the individual and the collective. Furthermore, the principal theoretical implication of this study is the questioning and negation of overarching planning that the findings suggest. Instead of exhaustive instruments such as the urban plan, the findings indicate a less invasive idea of coordination-in-space that arises voluntarily from the bottom up. Finally, while questioning certain precepts of normative planning, the study also indicates directions to explore further the possibilities of an indeterminate, horizontal organization of space. (Català) L'organització hegemònica de l'espai i l'arquitectura com el seu mitjà essencial responen a intencions polítiques i econòmiques la determinació de les quals està fora de l'abast de la majoria. Les representacions de les pràctiques dominants s'incrusten en l'ordre i la forma de l'espai, aconseguint espais i pràctiques de la vida quotidiana. S'ha entès la reforma de l'arquitectura per si sola com a insuficient per a abordar el desequilibri de poder, la qual cosa indica la necessitat de canvis més fonamentals en el context social del qual depèn l'arquitectura. S'han abordat teòricament les possibles polítiques de l'espai que es basarien en la descentralització i l'autodeterminació. No obstant això, són escasses les recerques sobre pràctiques arquitectòniques que estan tenint lloc en contextos contra-hegemònics. Aquest estudi va investigar l'arquitectura que sorgeix en la prefiguració del canvi social, i se centra en moviments socials les polítiques autònomes dels quals es caracteritzen per principis horitzontals, igualitaris i no-capitalistes. Les preguntes de recerca van ser: Quines són les característiques de la presa de decisions arquitectòniques, i, quines són les característiques de l'arquitectura duta a terme en geografies ocupades autònomes i majorment d'autoconstrucció? En la recerca es van aplicar mètodes de la teoria fonamentada; es va fer mitjançant la recopilació i l'anàlisi de dades de manera simultània, així com amb un mostreig teòric. Les dades es van recopilar en tres geografies autònomes distintes d'Europa Central. Els mètodes de recollida de dades van ser l'observació participant, el dibuix, la cartografia i les entrevistes. L'anàlisi es va basar en la codificació qualitativa i va seguir el mètode comparatiu constant. L'estudi va constatar en primer lloc que, en les geografies examinades, l'organització col·lectiva de l'espai es fa de manera transparent i mitjançant democràcia directa. La presa de decisions col·lectiva posa en relleu la participació directa de tots en les decisions rellevants, des dels principis fundacionals de l'organització fins a les pautes i formes específiques de l'espai. En segon lloc, l'organització col·lectiva de l'espai és voluntària i parcial, i es combina amb la descentralització de les decisions i l'autonomia individual per a intervenir en l'espai. L'autonomia facilita una certa llibertat per a transformar l'espai i les relacions socials implícites en ell, més enllà de la seva determinació col·lectiva. L'organització espacial es desenvolupa mitjançant intervencions col·lectives i autònomes de manera simultània i parcialment no planificada. En tercer lloc, les conclusions indiquen que els habitants posen en escac la propietat de l'espai i la permanència de la forma arquitectònica. Aquesta relació i interacció amb l'espai permet la seva transformació segons línies horitzontals, que remeten directament als habitants presents. Els resultats aporten noves perspectives sobre una arquitectura basada en la política participativa. Mentre l'estudi dona suport a teoritzacions anteriors, una de les seves principals aportacions és el desenvolupament de com es relaciona la participació arquitectònica amb la negociació canviant entre l'individual i el col·lectiu. La principal implicació teòrica d'aquest estudi és el qüestionament i la negació de la planificació global que suggereixen els resultats. En comptes d'instruments exhaustius com el pla urbanístic, els resultats indiquen una idea menys invasiva de coordinació que sorgeix voluntàriament de baix a dalt. Finalment, mentre qüestiona uns certs preceptes de la planificació normativa, l'estudi també apunta per a continuar explorant les possibilitats d'una organització no-determinada i horitzontal de l'espai. (Español) La organización hegemónica del espacio y la arquitectura como su medio esencial responden a intenciones políticas y económicas cuya determinación está fuera del alcance de la mayoría. Las representaciones de las prácticas dominantes se incrustan en el orden y la forma del espacio, alcanzando espacios y prácticas de la vida cotidiana. Se ha entendido la reforma de la arquitectura por sí sola como insuficiente para abordar el desequilibrio de poder, lo que indica la necesidad de cambios más fundamentales en el contexto social del que depende la arquitectura. Se han abordado teóricamente las posibles políticas del espacio que se basarían en la descentralización y la autodeterminación. Sin embargo, son escasas las investigaciones sobre prácticas arquitectónicas que están teniendo lugar en contextos contrahegemónicos. Este estudio investigó la arquitectura que surge en la prefiguración del cambio social, y se centra en movimientos sociales cuyas políticas autónomas se caracterizan por principios horizontales, igualitarios y no-capitalistas. Las preguntas de investigación fueron ¿Cuáles son las características de la toma de decisiones arquitectónicas, y, ¿cuáles son las características de la arquitectura llevada a cabo en geografías ocupadas autónomas y mayormente de autoconstrucción? En la investigación se aplicaron métodos de la teoría fundamentada; se hizo mediante la recopilación y el análisis de datos de manera simultánea, así como con un muestreo teórico. Los datos se recopilaron en tres geografías autónomas distintas de Europa Central. Los métodos de recogida de datos fueron la observación participante, el dibujo, la cartografía y las entrevistas. El análisis se basó en la codificación cualitativa y siguió el método comparativo constante. El estudio constató en primer lugar que, en las geografías examinadas, la organización colectiva del espacio se hace de forma transparente y mediante democracia directa. La toma de decisiones colectiva pone de relieve la participación directa de todos en las decisiones relevantes, desde los principios fundacionales de la organización hasta las pautas y formas específicas del espacio. En segundo lugar, la organización colectiva del espacio es voluntaria y parcial, y se combina con la descentralización de las decisiones y la autonomía individual para intervenir en el espacio. La autonomía facilita cierta libertad para transformar el espacio y las relaciones sociales implícitas en él, más allá de su determinación colectiva. La organización espacial se desarrolla mediante intervenciones colectivas y autónomas de forma simultán
Fundamental institutional reforms, as well as changes in the political, economic and social system, are the cause of the very complex and dynamic urban development of post-socialist cities. The transition from the single-party socialist political system into the system of parliamentary democracy and the decentralization of public state institutions and administration led to a greater responsibility of the local community for the creation of urban policies and the financing of urban development programs. The reduced role of the state in the economic system, the established capitalist principles of private ownership and market-lead economy have significantly influenced changes in the management of urban development, which is mainly driven by short-term goals and private interests. In conditions where local communities have insufficient financial resources to implement public policies based on neo-liberal principles, the role of the private sector in urban development becomes dominant, and the needs of citizens are neglected, which is the cause of significant spatial-social urban problems. Due to the low level of involvement of civil society in the decision-making process of urban planning, which is only declarative, but also due to the non-transparency of the process itself, it is also evident that citizens are not interested in participating in planning of urban development. This often results in the emergence of urban resistance movements and non-acceptance of imposed planning solutions. Regarding this, the issue of social sustainability of the transformation of post-socialist cities and the strengthening of civil society has become increasingly prominent in the post-socialist research discourse. This paper deals with the problem and impact of the "bottom-up" planning approach on the transformation of post-socialist cities. The aim of the paper is to point out the complexity of the process of post-socialist development of cities and to re-examine the role of civil society initiatives in the planning process of urban transformation. The paper presents a case study of the action of a civil initiative with the aim of preserving and transforming open public space in a residential area in the centre of Banjaluka. The presented example indicates the importance of informal and formal forms of self-organization of citizens for strengthening social inclusion, improvement of neighbourhood and preservation of public interest in the process of urban transformation. Finally, the example indicates the need to change the current planning approach and develop new planning tools aimed at achieving a higher level of citizen participation in the planning process and achievement of long-term social goals of the sustainability of the urban development of post-socialist Banjaluka.
<p>The suburbs of Tokyo Metropolis are experiencing path-dependent, multifaceted shrinkage in socio-demographic, economic, and political and administrative (including fiscal) dimensions. The following two contradictory processes taking place in the opposite direction are at work, namely: the political and administrative decentralization of authority and responsibility (although without much fiscal devolution), and the socio-demographic, economic, and fiscal recentralization of workplaces, residences, and municipal finance. As Tokyo’s suburbs confront these contradictory processes of decentralization and recentralization, they fall into the gap between, on the one hand, policies that prioritize the internationally competitive metropolitan center by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and, on the other hand, policies that address the growing problems of lagging provinces by the Government of Japan. These phenomena are affecting radical, but barely visible, changes in public affairs of municipal governments on the lowest tier. We thus examine the emerging modalities of intra- and inter-municipal affairs in Tokyo’s shrinking post-suburbs. First, we explore the intra-municipal upheavals, incorporating instabilities and disarrays, of ideas and practices inside a municipal government. Next, we investigate the inter-municipal upheavals that involve oscillations between unification and fragmentation among municipal governments. These interrelated intra- and inter-municipal upheavals hinder the consistency and timeliness of planning and decision-making in the local arena. In conclusion, we emphasize the importance of taming these upheavals and creating integrated governance systems by exploiting the emerging sense of the increasingly intertwined future among municipal governments. This is vital to strengthen local solidarity and promote inter-municipal collaborations at scales that can ensure metropolitan and suburban sustainability.</p>
In this article, the author analyzes the unrealized project of the department store "Na-Ma" in the neighborhood Trnje in Zagreb from 1960. Planned as a part of the new center of state-socialist Zagreb, this project offers insight into the professional context of imagining department stores as modern retail spaces and specific architectural types, as well as into the economic and social conditions that defined the processes of planning and building department stores, the modern retail network and urban space in Zagreb under Yugoslav state-socialism in the early 1960s. The author argues that the unrealized department store "Na-Ma" shows through the sphere of modern retail the ambitions and challenges present in architecture and urban planning, as well as in the decision-making and financing processes on the city level, and in this way reveals in more detail the functioning of the decentralized Yugoslav administrative and economic system in Zagreb in this period.
Urban renewal in the USA derived from slum clearance movement in the early 20th century under the background of urban sprawl and inner city blight, and had shifted its target from slum clearance and blight area elimination to economy revitalization, and has been a kind of comprehensive public policy in the field of urban governance since 1950s.During the institutional transition of marketization and decentralization, ideology change of urban renewal promotes the establishment and replacement of policy tools.Renewal policy instruments try to response the demands of local economic development and try to protect private property right and social justice, however, confronts policy objective deviation under the marketization operation.Urban renewal in China is in short of supply of continuous and systematic policy instruments, subject to the traditional material planning paradigm and power division of urban construction and management, resulting in the failure of implementation of ideal spatial scheme.This paper aims to explore the regularity elements behind the evolution of urban renewal policy instruments from the perspective of tax and financing, land use regulation and development management and provides learning experience and enlightenment to urban renewal practice in contemporary China.
This Study investigates time-series change of employment centers by nine industries between 2000 and 2010. The study discusses different distribution pattern of employment centers of Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) by industries. The spatial concentration level is calculated by Global Moran’s I and Local Moran’s I. The results are summarized as follows. First, overall employment distribution change shows decentralization. High density areas were connected to the traditional employment centers and made employment corridor. Second, basic industries like manufacturing and transportation had moved from the old business centers to outskirts. Third, public services including education and human health and social work activities have been relatively well distributed and showed minor change during the study period. Fourth, finance and insurance and real estate activities are clustered in the 3 major centers. The results imply that employment distribution analysis by major industries are necessary as well as total employment distribution in order to improve efficiency of urban spatial structure. For instance, if we can assume the different housing demand by industries, employees of manufacturing companies need to move to near suburban areas while residential buildings for FIRE industries are planned in the traditional business centers.
This report describes the process of shrinkage as it has occurred within the city of Leipzig. It examines the reasons, dynamics and patterns of change as well as the consequences for different fields of urban development and planning. The period covered in the report runs from the 1980s to the present day; in particular cases, longer or shorter time periods are considered. Over this time, Leipzig has moved from a (more or less rapidly) shrinking city until the late 1990s to a point where ist population stabilized and even returned to a slight growth during the last few years. Today, Leipzig is no longer a shrinking city. When one looks only at the total population numbers, Leipzig represents one of a few large cities in eastern Germany that have undergone reurbanization processes (Haase, A. et al. 2010). However, urban shrinkage continues to be an important topic for the city. The city is still facing the consequences of long-term shrinkage and will have to cope with it during the years to come. At the same time, shrinkage still affects some parts of the city and will also do so in the future. Moreover, Leipzig awaits a new wave of shrinkage due to ageing and a decrease in households after 2015.