How Does the Scalar Restructuring of Community Public Space Shape Community Co-Production? Evidence from the Community Centers in Shanghai

Mingyi Yang, Jinpeng Wu and Jing Xiong ()
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Mingyi Yang: School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
Jinpeng Wu: School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Jing Xiong: School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: In urban regeneration, co-production has become a significant approach for shaping public space in urban communities. While existing studies focus on the processes and stakeholders involved in co-production of community public space (CPS), few have examined the influence of structural factors. Based on the politics of scale, this study uses thematic analysis within an embedded case study of community centers in Shanghai, China, to analyze the impact of scalar restructuring on community co-production across three dimensions: material scale, organizational scale, and discursive scale. The study finds that local governments actively reshape public space through scalar restructuring, thereby transforming power relations among participants and promoting community co-production. In response to different community conditions and dilemmas, local governments adopt context-specific scalar restructuring strategies. When implementing scalar restructuring strategies such as downscaling, upscaling and scalar recompositing, three corresponding patterns of community co-production often emerge: bonded, procedural, and bridged. This paper contributes by providing a new perspective on the mechanism of community co-production, identifying novel patterns of community co-production and refining the scalar restructuring strategies. It moves beyond spatial limitations and captures the co-production of CPS through a broader lens of power dynamics.

Keywords: urban governance; community public space; co-production; scalar restructuring; urban regeneration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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