Confront or Comply? Managing Social Risks in China’s Urban Renewal Projects

Yetong Mai, Junzhu Wu, Qianying Zhang, Qiqi Liang, Yingying Ma () and Zhuojun Liu ()
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Yetong Mai: College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Junzhu Wu: College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Qianying Zhang: Guangzhou Urban Planning and Design Company Limited, Guangzhou 510230, China
Qiqi Liang: College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yingying Ma: College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zhuojun Liu: College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: Social sustainability is a major concern of planners and local officials when urban renewal projects are being conducted. Extreme individualism can potentially cause conflicts of interest, making urban renewal in Western cities fraught with various types of social risks. As a country with a deep-rooted socialist tradition, urban renewal projects in China are influenced by collectivist culture and show different features from those of the West. The objective of this research is to investigate how different stakeholders in urban redevelopment projects, including local residents, social organizations, the local state, and developers, interact with each other and how the associated social risks are hedged against. Using a recent well-known project in the city of Guangzhou, the authors attempt to present the latest progress in social risk management in China. With support from a government-sponsored project, the authors have conducted a questionnaire-based survey with a year-long fieldwork follow-up. Using ATLAS.ti software, we found that that “residents’ demand”, “status of collaboration”, and “degree of trust” are the keys to risk management. The results of an ordered probit model show that residents are worried about overall planning, the relocation timetable, and whether their personal needs are taken into account. It is also indicated that the timely disclosure of project information, high-quality public participation, and a reasonable compensation plan can possibly boost the support rate. The authors suggest that utilizing China’s collectivist culture could be an effective way to mitigate social risks, and residents’ personal interests should also be respected.

Keywords: social risk; risk management; urban renewal; collectivism; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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