Speaker
Description
As global urbanization transitions into the stock development stage, the renewal of aging communities has emerged as a critical strategy for addressing the housing crisis and enhancing urban functions. However, three core challenges persist in current practices: balancing historical preservation with modern adaptability, safeguarding the housing rights of vulnerable groups, and reconciling social equity with economic feasibility. These challenges underscore the limitations of traditional regeneration models in dynamic adaptability and responsiveness to diverse needs, necessitating an analytical framework and design strategy that integrates theoretical rigor with practical applicability to address the complexities and diverse demands of residential community renewal.
This study, grounded in distributive justice theory and participatory planning theory, proposes an adaptive design approach centered around a hierarchical framework. It explores how social equity and inclusive development can be achieved in urban regeneration through dynamic adjustment and policy coordination. The hierarchical framework in this study specifically refers to a multi-level analytical structure spanning from the city scale to community, public space, building, and internal space levels, thereby providing insight into the localized aspects of the housing crisis. The research employs a case study methodology combined with spatial analysis to examine how these levels interact to shape key issues in housing regeneration across three dimensions: the social dimension focuses on mechanisms for resettling and protecting the rights of disadvantaged groups; and the spatial dimension analyzes the tension between preserving neighborhood fabric and optimizing residential functions; the economic dimension examines the dynamic balance between renewal costs and benefit distribution.
The Xiaosongtao district in Nanjing, as a representative example of old community renewal in China, reflects the complexity and diversity of these issues, particularly with respect to low-income resident resettlement, neighborhood fabric preservation, and functional optimization. The study analyzes the Xiaosongtao project through a hierarchical framework, revealing the roles of planning strategies, spatial design, and multi-party collaboration in achieving housing equity and adaptive design. At the planning level, the project uses a ‘Retention, Remould, Demolition’ strategy to dynamically optimize the district's functions, balancing historical preservation with modern needs. In terms of spatial design, the project introduces efficient space concepts, optimizing small residential units' functionality through 3.6-meter ceiling heights and diverse housing types, while accommodating the diverse needs of residents with flexible, adjustable public space layouts. On the collaborative front, the project facilitates feedback and adjustments through a residents' council, personalized ‘one-household-one-policy’ resettlement plans, and dynamic coordination between local government and design teams.
The study's findings demonstrate that the hierarchical framework and adaptive design approach can effectively balance the protection of disadvantaged groups’ rights with the overarching goals of the project. Notably, the successful application of the ‘Retention, Remould, Demolition’ strategy illustrates the practical value of localized solutions in optimizing resource allocation, ensuring social equity, and fostering inclusive development. The Xiaosongtao project not only offers a resolution to complex housing disputes but also provides a replicable model and framework of tools for international research on housing equity and urban regeneration. Future urban regeneration initiatives should further strengthen resident participation mechanisms and multi-party collaboration, creating a more equitable and sustainable urban development trajectory through adaptive design and policy innovation.
| Keywords | Hierarchical Framework、Adaptive Urban Renewal、Participatory Planning、Policy and Design Integration、Affordable Housing |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
