With around 30 percent of its population being elderly, there is a strong demand for public spaces and senior-friendly facilities. Unfortunately, amenities such as eldercare centers were in severe shortfall. In 2019, to address these issues, Beijing University of Technology collaborated with architectural firms including China IPPR International Engineering Co. Ltd. and China Architecture Design and Research Group to conduct a comprehensive study on the challenges facing the area.

In response, the Fangzhuang Subdistrict Office has outlined more than 40 renewal projects aimed at upgrading residential buildings, amenities and public spaces. Change is already underway in the community.

Model practices 

One example of the community's urban renewal efforts is the upgrading of the Fangzhuang Cultural and Art Center. Originally constructed in the 1990s, the building had served a variety of purposes, from a vegetable market to restaurants, before being abandoned in 2010. In 2023, the Fangzhuang Subdistrict Office partnered with Fengtai Culture and Tourism Group and Huazun Construction Group to redesign and repurpose the existing structure into a vibrant hub for public cultural activities. The renovated center now features a bookstore on the first floor and in the basement, an art center on the second floor that frequently hosts exhibitions, and a theater on the third floor for musical and theatrical performances.

Additionally, the Fangzhuang Cinema, which had been idle for nearly 30 years, has been revitalized through urban renewal. In 2019, Tianjin State-Owned Capital Investment and Management Co. Ltd. initiated a project to transform the cinema into a nursing home, which opened in April 2023. The nursing home has 177 rooms and 293 beds, filling a big gap in institutional elderly care services in the area. It also operates as a cultural space for local residents. "The nursing home is not an isolated environment; we have opened our doors to the surrounding community, facilitating easier access to many public areas," Liu Xiaobing, its manager, said. Facilities in the nursing home such as a theater, classrooms and fitness areas are also available for use by local residents. Seniors aged 70 and above, along with residents from two neighboring communities, can watch movies at the theater for free, while others are charged only 8 yuan ($1.1) per ticket.

The nursing home has also established a partnership with the Fangzhuang Community Health Service Center to not only provide on-site medical care for the elderly, but also to offer medical services to the surrounding communities, including emergency medical response and chronic disease management.

Through these urban regeneration efforts, Fangzhuang has effectively entered a "second spring" in its development. This initiative has earned the Best Practice Award at the Third Beijing Urban Regeneration Forum, which took place from September 27 to mid-October. During the opening ceremony, Beijing Mayor Yin Yong emphasized that the capital has been prioritizing urban renewal in recent years. Policies have continuously evolved to enhance the preservation of the historic city while advancing urban regeneration, all achieved without demolishing the old neighborhoods.

Urban regeneration explained 

Fangzhuang's urban renewal project is not an isolated case; similar initiatives are being implemented on a large scale nationwide. By this August, over 66,000 urban renewal projects had been conducted across the country, with a total investment of 2.6 trillion yuan ($368.3 billion), according to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Urban regeneration involves redeveloping and revitalizing areas that have suffered from urban decay or decline. This process may include modernizing facilities in existing buildings (known as urban renewal) or opting for redevelopment by demolishing old structures as well as brownfield sites. The primary goal is to enhance these areas' physical, economic and social conditions, making them livelier and more appealing to residents, businesses and visitors.

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held in October 2022, emphasized the need to carry out urban renewal projects and improve urban infrastructure to build livable, resilient and smart cities. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee this July, specifically called for the development of sustainable urban renewal models and the formulation of appropriate policies and regulations. It also underscored the necessity of constructing underground utility tunnels and upgrading old pipelines, stating, "These efforts will help make our cities safer and more resilient."

At the opening ceremony of the Third Beijing Urban Regeneration Forum, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong noted that China has entered a significant phase of urban development that prioritizes regeneration. Advancing urban regeneration in an orderly manner will drive high-quality urban development, unleash investment and consumption potential, create high-quality living spaces, and enhance the public's sense of gain, happiness and security.

(Print Edition Title: Neighborhood Renewal) 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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