Socio-Spatial Changes in Danwei Neighbourhoods: A Case Study of the AMS Danwei Compound in Hefei, China

Abstract

This paper analysed socio-spatial changes in old urban neighbourhoods (Danwei compounds) in Chinese cities as a result of two major national level reforms: the Reform and Opening Up and the Urban Housing reform in 1978 and 1997, respectively. Existing research indicates fundamental changes have taken place in the political, economic and social aspects of Danwei compounds. However, there is a paucity of research on micro-level changes. To understand how these reforms have affected the social-spatial schema of Danwei Compounds, the study utilised mapping, key person interviews and field observation in AMS compound, Hefei city of Anhui province. This paper compared the AMS Danwei Compound before and after the reforms in terms of public spaces, building features and compound management. The study found that the AMS Danwei Compound has experienced a significant reduction in public space, an increase in building density and a reconfiguration of compound management actors. The study suggests the need for local planning authorities and government to pay attention to planning and design of the old city core by emphasising improvement in public spaces, attention to compact design principles for urban neighbourhood planning, and establishment of local community management body.

The Analysis of the Spatial Production Mechanism and the Coupling Coordination Degree of the Danwei Compound Based on the Spatial Ternary Dialectics

“…The family committee in charge of logistics is an autonomous organization of residents in the compound that is autonomous and connected to the management department of the danwei and, in principle, reflects the wishes and needs of the residents. This kind of work-living space not only represents the physical space and the boundary of the walls inside the Supply and Marketing Cooperative Compound, but is also a kind of identity, belonging to the same danwei, which has long integrated similar work backgrounds, welfare benefits, and living environment, forming a social relationship of acquaintances with certain tribal and rural characteristics [40].…”

The Re-danweilization of SU University During the COVID- 19 Pandemic

“…Finally, in terms of society and psychological perception, access to the market and the development of urbanism have reduced the material dependence of workers on the paternalistic support of the danwei and weakened their knowledge of and attachment and affiliation to the danwei [13]. The increasing heterogenization of housing has also largely eliminated the social stratification caused by danwei [14]. In summary, the danwei system has been severely attenuated in the process of economic transition, and the urban morphology has changed from an inorganic collection of production-based working units to a diversely shared, market-based city with modern communities and some remaining danweis.…”