Collaborative Governance for Participatory Regeneration Practices in Old Residential Communities within the Chinese Context: Cases from Beijing

Abstract

The regeneration of old residential communities in China is one of the most important tasks in urban renewal. In recent years, distinctive models and pathways have emerged in the emerging practice of participatory community regeneration, all of which can be seen as applications of collaborative governance theory at the community level. Collaborative governance is considered an effective way to achieve multiple goals in urban regeneration, but there has been relatively little research on collaborative governance in small-scale regeneration projects. This paper summarizes three nuanced pathways in the collaborative governance model through case studies, which are led by different initiators, resulting in collaborative models, rights dynamics, and implementation pathways that are applicable to different scenarios, effectively resolving community conflicts and producing sustainable practical results. This study compares how the three models achieve their respective objectives in participatory regeneration projects by coordinating the different stakeholder participation processes. These three models complement and extend international experience and will provide a vivid Chinese example for other developing countries around the world.

Achieving Neighborhood-Level Collaborative Governance through Participatory Regeneration: Cases of Three Residential Heritage Neighborhoods in Shanghai

“…Many studies have explored the role of existing collaborative governance [3,19,21] or collaborative workshops [18] in promoting participatory regeneration. However, this study highlights the dynamic roles of participatory planning and management strategies in shaping future collaborative governance, and we identified facilitating mechanisms (e.g., consultation meetings, regulated participatory procedures, and flexible private funding provision), constraining mechanisms (e.g., administrative constraints in mobilizing other lateral public departments and strict arrangements for public funding provision), and uncertainties (e.g., responsible officials, capable leaders, and planners with strong resource mobilization capabilities) in China's urban heritage neighborhoods with strong state interventions.…”

“…From the negative side, scholars point out the constraining role of participation in aggravating conflicts through the inclusion of opponents [17]. In the context of urban renewal, some scholars highlight the vital role of collaborative workshops serving as practical solutions for reaching consensus in participatory planning [18,19]; some emphasize that street-level collaborative governance is more effective at dealing with conflicts than macro-level governance, owing to less of a power imbalance and a strong commitment to collaborative processes [20]; some investigate different types of collaborative behavior among stakeholders (e.g., the degree of cooperation among related governments, conflict resolution efficiency, the degree of public participation, and the normality of public participation) associated with participatory regeneration [19]; and some explain the participatory regeneration process through the collaborative governance theory [21]. However, these studies investigate either collaborative behaviors in the participation process or the influencing role of existing collaborative governance in shaping participatory regeneration, leaving investigations into the influencing role of participatory regeneration in shaping future collaborative governance understudied.…”

Does the Use of Perennials in Flower Beds Necessarily Imply Sustainability?

“…Establishing a sustainable bed is more expensive than a conventional bed but becomes more cost-effective in later stages when maintenance costs are much lower, even though maintaining such a bed requires more skilled labor. In addition, maintenance costs can be minimized by involving citizens who are willing to participate in the planting and maintenance of the beds with the support of the municipality, which would provide the planting material and a planting plan [ 32 , 33 ].…”