Abstract
The rapid urbanization of Shenzhen in only 40 years has made it an emerging megacity with more than 20 million population. However, it gives rise to some distinctive problems. A larger proportion of residential buildings built in 1980s and 1990s, which we regarded as old communities, are likely to deteriorate physically and become economically obsolete. Aiming to improve building safety and residential satisfaction, a specific study of old communities was conducted by Luohu District Government, located in the inner city of Shenzhen, in term of investigating general situation, residential problems, renewal (including renovation and regeneration) willingness, etc. In this study, we construct a framework to comprehensively analyse necessity and feasibility of urban renewal for old communities. With establishing a survey data base of 493 old communities in Luohu District based on the GIS, we gain physical and economic characters of these communities. With combining divisions of necessity and feasibility separately, four quadrant results were presented to help government to make decisions. Projects located in the first quadrant (i.e. high level necessity and high level feasibility) accounts 32%. Residential satisfaction is also measured. It is implicated that the work-life unbalance and insufficient parking spaces are two critical problems. Also, market failure problems are revealed due to projects with high necessity but low feasibility. Luohu District contains typical characteristics of high density cities in Asia. Variables used in this study to evaluate necessity and feasibility have implications for similar practices in other cities. We recommend more proactive efforts to a) develop a comprehensive toolbox to apply urban renewal for old communities , b) increase residential satisfaction by create more jobs for local residents and adopt new techniques to offer more parking spaces , c) use a redevelopment unit covering several small old communities to avoid diseconomies of scale caused by residential subdivisions. Keywords: urban renewal, old community, necessity and feasibility evaluation, toolbox.
