Demolition of Existing Buildings in Urban Renewal Projects: A Decision Support System in the China Context

Kexi Xu, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Guiwen Liu and Igor Martek
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Kexi Xu: School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Geoffrey Qiping Shen: Department of Building and Real Estate, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, China
Guiwen Liu: School of Construction Management and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Igor Martek: School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: Much of the rapid urbanization of China’s cities has occurred at the expense of the existing urban fabric. Across the nation, whole city blocks have been replaced with new structures, requiring large numbers of buildings to be demolished while still serviceable. This curtailed lifespan of existing buildings not only comes with an economic cost, but results in loss of urban culture, wastes resources, degrades the environment, exacerbates pollution, and inflames social conflict and instability. For the purpose of evaluating the merits of building demolition, this study develops a decision support system (DSS) for building demolition in the China context from the perspective of sustainable urban renewal. The indicators of this system cover economic, social, environmental, and institutional aspects of sustainable development. Meanwhile, both the individual characteristics of buildings and the external or extrinsic indicators at the neighborhood, local, or city level are taken into account. Based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), 24 critical indicators containing qualitative and quantitative factors are identified. These indicators are classified into six parameters: (1) service performance; (2) economic impact; (3) social identity; (4) local development; (5) building location; and (6) building safety. Empirical results reveal considerations of local development to be of greatest significance with the value of standardized factor loading standing at 0.911, followed by service performance (loading = 0.870) and building location (loading = 0.863), with social identity (loading = 0.236) ranking substantially lower. The findings contribute to the practice of urban renewal and, in particular, provide practical guidance to the building demolition decision-making process.

Keywords: building demolition; decision support system (DDS); confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); urban renewal; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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