Public Participation in Micro-Spaces in Urban Renewal: The Case of Beijing Microgarden (Part 1)

Abstract

In the current stage of urban renewal stock development in China, small-scale urban public space and public facilities gradually become the primary characteristics to improve urban quality, residents' liveablity, and urban vitality. Small and micro public spaces are important parts of the remaining spaces of the city, with the characteristics of wide distribution, small area, irregular involved with many stakeholders, which is a long-neglected part of the city's systematic development. There are problems such as insufficient city management and low utilization rate, which urgently needs to be tapped and utilized. The micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces with public participation as the core can reflect the level of urban fine construction and social governance, which is of great research significance. This paper first expounds the relevant background of micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces, and defines its concept and type. Then, through mapping the observation of the authenticity of people, things, and small and micro spaces, the behavior activities of people's spontaneous use of space are investigated and analyzed. Finally, combined with the team's relevant practice in recent years, this paper explores the way of public participation in the micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces.

Keywords: urban renewal, urban small and micro public space, micro-renewal pathway, public participation, micro-garden

1.Introduction

At present, the renewal of the physical environment and social network of China's cities has entered a slow and prudent stock development stage, and the large-scaled urban incremental development in the past has begun to focus on urban small and micro public spaces and facilities, and the field of social life has gradually been valued and paid attention to by the government and all parties, the core of which is public participation. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward "the city built by people, the city built for people", emphasizing that urban construction should be people-centered, strive to expand public space, provide places for people to leisure, fitness, and entertainment, and help people keep the work-life balance. The concept of "people's city" focuses on social governance, and the community is the "last mile" of urban social governance and the common life of people. During the implementing years of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the importance of urban renewal has been raised to an unprecedented height. In the current process of urban renewal, the public participation micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces embodies the new development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing, and its micro-renewal approach exploration has important theoretical and practical significance.

2.Research background of micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces

2.1 Urban renewal has entered the micro-renewal stage of small and micro public spaces and facilities

Guided by human needs and participation, urban renewal sets higher standards in terms of the dynamic elements of creating a public space environment. The Beijing Urban Master Plan （2016-2035） clearly states that "urban repair work will be carried out to increase green space, make up for shortcomings, improve environment, and enhance living quality". In 2021, the Government Work Report and the 14th Five-Year Plan were released one after another, jointly proposing to "implement urban renewal actions". In order to achieve the goal of building a high-quality urban public space environment, the renewal and construction of urban public space is moving from grand to small and micro, from systematic to life. In recent years, various provinces and cities have successively issued the Urban Renewal Action Plan. For example, the Beijing Urban Renewal Action Plan (2021-2025) mentions that "the overall urban renewal is planned with the block as the unit, and the landscape design and construction of public spaces in the neighborhood are strengthened around urban function reconstruction, improving ecological environment restoration, and forming a sound public space system. Promote the miniaturization, invisibility and integration of municipal facilities." Research on the renewal of urban small and micro public spaces is increasingly abundant. "Urban micro-renewal is a comprehensive reflection on the spatial crisis caused by large-scale urban renewal construction", which does not lie in the grand narrative, but in shaping a good urban spatial environment through extensive, small-scale, and optimizable renewal and transformation practices. In the current stage of urban micro-renewal, the renewal mode of urban small and micro public space is more in line with the laws and requirements of urban development, should be guided by the needs of people's daily life, and the improvement of space quality.

2.2 A large amount of surplus space in urban space needs to be exploited

There is still a lot of remaining space in the city. As the "scraps" of the city, the remaining space is scattered and numerous, which can effectively supplement the urban open space system, provide more public spaces for people, and further promote the construction of healthy city. The remaining urban space includes space under highway, space along infrastructure lines, space at urban-rural boundaries, and a large number of potentially available neighborhoods and community small and micro public spaces. Urban small and micro public spaces have problems such as unclear boundaries, chaotic order, and low space utilization, and the current relevant policies have insufficient control and guidance capabilities for urban small and micro public spaces. In this context, systematic and complete public space planning and design should be carried out for urban small and micro public spaces, and on this basis, the micro-renewal path of small and micro public spaces should be explored, so as to provide residents with better public living space.

2.3 The micro-renewal of small and micro public spaces reflects the level of refined urban governance

The potential utilization and micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces cannot only provide people with high-quality and quantity of physical environment, but more importantly, effectively enhance the sense of belonging of public spaces and promote neighborhood relations. The micro-renewal of public participation in urban small and micro public spaces is a process of co-construction and co-governance, and through refined social governance, it can solve the current problems of neglected residents' daily functional needs, insufficient community vitality, and lacking the co-governance mechanisms. From the perspective of social governance, the social governance approach of public participation micro-renewal of urban small and micro public spaces can effectively promote urban governance on social and cultural, social demands, social vitality, management network and mechanism, and comprehensively improve the level of refined urban governance.

3 The concept, types and characteristics of urban micro-public space

3.1 Multiple meanings of urban public space

Urban public space refers to the space for public use in people's daily life and social life, which is daily, social and fair. Firstly, urban public space has agglomeration efforts. Positive urban public space has strong accessibility, can be integrated into the overall structure of the city, provide good visual space effect and perfect service facilities; Secondly, urban public space serves daily and social life. The construction of public space has to consider not only the relationship between different spaces, but also the interactive behavior between people and people. Finally, urban public space should present a systematic network layout. Micro-renewal of urban public space can actively and efficiently promote community construction and residents' healthy life. It is an continuous process from planning, design to maintenance and management, and public participation runs through it.

Author: HOU Xiaolei, ZOU Dehan

Source:<http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/u7YvtJE653Dfsr6aRv7Ogg>

Translated by Zhang Chenxi