Driving renovation: A comparative research project in urban regeneration across cities in China

Fang Bin Guo, Emma Roberts, Xiaochun Zhan and Kevin Johnston
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Fang Bin Guo: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, UK
Emma Roberts: School of Art and Design, UK
Xiaochun Zhan: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, UK
Kevin Johnston: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, UK

Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, 2023, vol. 17, issue 2, 172-189

Abstract: Post-industrial sites in Chinese cities are being redeveloped as catalysts for urban regeneration, often tuning into the creative cultures of these cities to provide platforms for creative enterprises to flourish. The success of these projects in driving the development of China’s creative economy, however, has led to many imitative redevelopment projects, creating a blueprint for the format of industrial zones and cultural parks in cities. Many recent urban renewal projects have placed great emphasis on commercial and practical aspects of implementation and creative practice but have failed to respond to the different contexts of each location within the design and planning, and therefore performed poorly in providing opportunities for developing local enterprise or addressing social welfare needs. A recent funded research project has been conducted by an international cross-disciplinary team that is seeking different opportunities for developing relevant creative industries while retaining cultural and industrial heritage. The project focuses on regional culture and, with use of new methodologies, studies its impact on urban regeneration. By working with participants who are both site users and developers, this paper explores the research conducted so far and offers initial findings. Findings include that regenerations should integrate the characteristics of historic industrial sites with the new requirements of the creative industries. The major stakeholders whose impact on urban regenerations have also been identified and the most important factors for successful transformations from heavy to creative industry are discovered to be local geography, history, culture, politics, economy and ethnography.

Keywords: industrial heritage; ethnographic research; participatory methods; post-industrial; urban regeneration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: R00 Z33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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