City Planning Review（2024.5）

♦IDENTIFICATION AND DELIMITATION OF URBAN REGENERATION AREAS 

Author: YANG Jianqiang; SUN Liping; ZHU Yuxi

ABSTRACT: As essential components in urban regeneration planning, the identification and delimitation of urban regeneration areas require guidance from industry standards. In response, the Standardization Committee of Urban Planning Society of China has organized the formulation of a group standard titled Technical Guidelines for the Delimitation of Urban Regeneration Areas (T/ UPSC 0014-2023), which introduces techniques and methodologies for delimiting urban regeneration areas. In line with the practical context and core research concerns of the Technical Guidelines, this paper elaborates its purpose, principles, and key contents from the following aspects: the factors influencing the identification of regeneration areas, the crucial points and methods for identifying regeneration targets, and the workflow and technical details of the delimitation of regeneration areas. It can provide fundamental technical support to ensure the scientific, rational, standardized, and effective implementation of urban regeneration planning. 

KEYWORDS: urban regeneration areas; identification of regeneration areas; delimitation of regeneration areas; technical guidelines; urban regeneration

♦MASTER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION IN THE ERA OF URBAN REGENERATION 

Author: WANG Fuhai; ZENG Xiangkun; ZHANG Chen

ABSTRACT: As China’s urban development enters the regeneration era, the urban construction and development model is facing profound changes. From the perspective of urban regeneration, this paper discusses the new mission of master plan implementation and the innovation of implementat ion path. In the era of urban regeneration, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the conceptual scope of master plan implementation, which is shouldering the important mission of guiding cities to promote incremental improvement. This means that master plan implementation should be carried out in parallel at the three main levels of the profession, the government, and society, while dealing with the hierarchical relationship amongst them, and correctly construing the macroeconomic significance of master plan implementation in the regeneration era. In order to promote better implementation of urban regeneration in all aspects, this paper puts forward a comprehensive planning delivery path and mechanism system from strategy to space, and to specific projects. It recommends that the operating system of urban regeneration actions should be used as the basis for the dynamic closed-loop of project generation, overall management, and feedback, so as to effectively improve the capability of planning to respond dynamically to urban regeneration needs. 

KEYWORDS: urban regeneration; master plan implementation; path and mechanism

♦OPPORTUNITY COST AND MARGINAL COST OF URBAN REGENERATION 

Author: LIU Di 

ABSTRACT: While urban regeneration has risen to be the will of the nation, the research on the two basic issues of regeneration, namely, “decision-making at the starting point of regeneration” and “decision- making at the end point of regeneration”, is in a blank, with insufficient support and explanatory power for the practice of regeneration. Starting from the two misunderstandings in the existing regeneration research, this paper points out that there is a gap between the assertion of the starting point and the end point of regeneration in the existing research and the reality, and develops two theoretical models, namely, “decision-making at the starting point of regeneration” and “decision-making at the end point of regeneration”, with the help of analytical tools of microeconomics and super-marginal theory, and in the light of the opportunity cost and the marginal cost. The paper then presents a framework of “whole process decision-making from the starting point to the end point” through the fitting of these two models, based on which the thought of “smart decision-making of urban regeneration” is proposed. It further points out that the strategies of “specialized division of labor for regeneration” and “credit at the starting point of regeneration” can be improved at the starting point, and the strategies of “facility catalyst” and “bottom line control of regeneration” can be improved at the end point. The paper provides new research perspectives for the analysis of the underlying logic of regeneration decision-making and the improvement of decision-making. 

KEYWORDS: urban regeneration; regeneration decision-making; opportunity cost; marginal cost; starting point of urban regeneration; end point of urban regeneration; smart urban regeneration

♦RESEARCH ON KEY ELEMENT IDENTIFICATION AND STRATEGIES OF TERRITORIAL COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE 

Author: PEI Xinsheng; QIAN Hui; YANG Yunping

ABSTRACT: The collaborative governance of key spatial elements is an important part of the territorial spatial planning. This paper analyzes the connotation of spatial key elements, and proposes the idea of identifying key spatial elements from the dimensions of law, conflict, evolution, value, and risk. Based on the key elements and taking Xining and Wuhu as cases, the paper proposes the strategy of spatial collaborative governance. The strategy is firstly goal- and problem-oriented, targeting at the main spatial conflicts and contradictions, and coordinating the organizational relationship between the key elements. Focusing on the implementation of the spatial strategy, it highlights the structural role of the key elements in leading the spatial layout and optimizing the spatial structure. Secondly, the strategy is value-enhancement oriented, which, based on the evaluation of key spatial elements, establishes collaborative control units by category and formulates differentiated control policies. 

KEYWORDS: territorial spatial planning; spatial structure; comprehensive efficacy; collaborative governance

♦INFLUENCING MECHANISM OF METRO LINES ON AIR QUALITY AND PLANNING STRATEGY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY BASED ON THREE METRO LINES IN WUHAN

Author: YUAN Man; YAN Mingrui; SHAN Zhuoran

ABSTRACT: Megacities in China have vigorously promoted the construction of urban rail transit in order to alleviate urban traffic congestion and improve the air quality. However, there is still a lack of empirical research on whether the metro can substantially improve the air quality along the line. Taking Wuhan Metro as an example, this paper uses the difference-in-difference method to evaluate the impact of the metro on air quality, analyzes the mechanism, and proposes the planning strategy. The results show that the influence of metro on the air quality is spatially heterogeneous along the line, in which the configuration and spatial layout of the built environment along the line are the key influencing factors. In low-density urban areas, the traffic substitution effect is greater than the traffic creation effect, which helps to improve the air quality. While in the high-density area, the traffic creation effect is greater than the traffic substitution effect, which aggravates the air pollution. Therefore, the construction of metro projects in megacities should be organically combined with urban land use and spatial planning, and the differentiated development mode should be adopted based on the urban density along the metro line. It is advisable to reduce the population density in the downtown area, instead of pursuing high-density development unilaterally along the line. 

KEYWORDS: metro; air quality; difference-in-difference (DID) model; density

♦DAILY CARE: PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE PEOPLE 

Author: ZHUANG Yu; WU Jingwei; WU Xi

ABSTRACT: In the post-pandemic era, it is necessary to attach great importance to “people-oriented” planning and design in China’s urban construction, with a view to improve the environmental quality in a refined manner. This paper addresses the prevalent tendency in rapid urbanization where grand spectacle-driven designs often overweigh the considerations of practical daily use in public space planning. Through an analysis of existing problems and challenges, the paper underscores the necessity for public space building to meet new needs and trends that have emerged with the advancement of the times, highlighting the original intention of “attending to people’s needs” to create public places of “daily care”. Additionally, it proposes four key principles: easy access by walking, enjoyable and friendly spaces, multi-functional daily use, and place identity and belonging. 

KEYWORDS: urban public space; pubic life; people-oriented; accessibility by walking; spatial quality; function and usage; place-making

♦URBAN REGENERATION AND SOCIAL SPACE RESTRUCTURING: A QUANTITATIVE EMPIRICAL STUDY OF TIANJIN (2000-2020) 

Author: LI Jinxuan

ABSTRACT: The social value and socio-spatial effects of urban regeneration are often overlooked in practice. In recent years, it has become a general consensus in domestic academic circles that “urban regeneration triggers spatial redistribution of diverse social groups”. However, specific influencing mechanisms remain unclear and related quantitative empirical analysis is lacked. Taking 61 sub-districts of Tianjin as the research object, this paper carries out an in-depth study based on two categories of basic data: the spatio-temporal evolution pattern of urban regeneration and the census data of each sub-district. Employing tools such as multiple linear regression, geographically weighted regression, and spatial regression models, the paper examines the basic logic and fundamental laws in the social space differentiation and restructuring caused by urban regeneration actions from three aspects, namely, specific correlation, uneven spatial impact, and spatial spillover effect. Comparing Tianjin’s empirical evidence with the international experience, this paper summarizes the socio-spatial impact path of urban regeneration and its local characteristics, in the hope of providing useful theoretical support for the high-quality development of Chinese cities in the period of transitioning to optimization of existing urban stocks. 

KEYWORDS: urban regeneration; social space; quantitative empirical study; Tianjin

♦FROM “ECONOMIC BENEFITS” TO “SPATIAL QUALITY”: BUILD A NEW INNOVATION SPACE EVALUATION SYSTEM THAT ADAPTS TO CHINA’S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 

Author: DUAN Yixing

ABSTRACT: In the future, innovation spaces are poised to evolve into hubs that integrate multiple functions and foster a variety of activities. Their role is set to expand as catalysts for urban regeneration, with their significance increasing. Consequently, identifying the characteristics of high-quality innovation spaces in the future and developing a scientific evaluation methodology for them have become critical issues that demand immediate attention. Drawing upon advancements in both domestic and international research on innovation spaces and their assessments, this study introduces a new evaluation system for the quality of innovation spaces. This system is founded on the dual attributes of “innovation + urbanity”, defining relevant evaluation indicators, key elements, and methodologies for data collection. Following this, the system is empirically tested in Beijing’s Haidian District, and further refined with adaptive adjustments specific to Chinese contexts through a special examination of the Scientific and Technological Innovation Space in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. The findings indicate that the new evaluation system offers a comprehensive, scalable, accurate, and elaborate multi-dimensional approach, thereby providing technical support for enhancing the quality of urban human settlements in the future. 

KEYWORDS: innovation spaces; spatial quality; dual attributes of “innovation + urbanity”; new evaluation system; Beijing practice

♦URBAN SPATIAL RESILIENCE TRANSMISSION IN FLOOD MANAGEMENT: MULTI-SCALE NESTED STRUCTURES AND INTERACTION RELATIONSHIPS 

Author: WANG Qianwen

ABSTRACT: Floods pose a significant challenge to the high-quality development of urban areas. The integration of flood resilience construction into the territorial planning and governance system, the alignment of urban spatial layout with the logic and order of flood resilience, and the differentiation of disaster management pathways according to various spatial scales are pressing needs for cities to sustain their growth and ensure a safe living environment amidst the changing climatic conditions. This paper establishes a multi-scale theoretical transmission framework that links urban space with flood resilience. Taking Xiamen Island as an example, it elucidates fundamental unit types, multi-scale nested structures, and cross-scale interaction relationships associated with urban flood resilience. Accordingly, it proposes a multi-scale transmission optimization strategy characterized by “type segmentation, structural rationalization, and relationship reshaping”. The objective is to enhance the depth and breadth of research into the relationship between urban spatial layout and flood resilience, as well as hierarchical studies. It may provide a scientific basis for implementing “multi-plan integration”, planning transmission, and facilitating cities’ dynamic adaptation to floods. 

KEYWORDS: floods; urban space; resilience; multi-scale; transmission; interaction

♦A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON TWO TYPES OF FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION SPACES UNDER THE EFFECT OF THE PLATFORM ECONOMY: A PERSPECTIVE FROM NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS 

Author: WU Junbo

ABSTRACT: The rise of platform economy has changed the mechanism and characteristics of flexible production space. Drawing upon the analytical framework established from the perspective of new institutional economics, and through a comparative study on Kangle Lujiang Area and Nancun Town in Guangzhou, this paper finds that, under the influence of the platform economy, flexible production spaces can be categorized into two types: platform-embedded and platform-reconstructed. The former reaches flexible production by leveraging the gig economy and reducing spatial scale to adapt to the trend of daily small quantity production, and by relying on geographic proximity and social network organization to address large-scale production; the latter reaches flexible production through platforms that use induced rules to guide enterprises to scale up production, and instantly allocate orders based on algorithms. The two types share a common basis in a flexible spatial supply system. They differ in their degree of substituting geographic proximity and social networks in virtual space, and their organizational modes are respectively characterized by post-Fordist and re-Fordist. Urban planning needs to re-examine the spatial institutional value of marginal spaces such as urban villages in the new economy, and pay attention to the impact of the rules set by digital platforms on cities. 

KEYWORDS: platform economy; digital economy; flexible production; small order fast reaction

♦SYNERGY BETWEEN PLANNING AND RULES: STRATEGIES FOR SYSTEM BUILDING IN TERRITORIAL DETAILED PLANNING 

Author: CHEN Lu

ABSTRACT: Urban planning is contrived to bring the urban order that is out of control back on track. Planning has always attempted to use scientific methods to mitigate land-use conflicts and regulate urban development. However, the classical scientific method of controlling complexity through segmentation and reduction has been difficult to adapt to the increasing needs for diversified human settlements and the institutional needs for territorial space use control. In order to return to the scientific field to explore the relationship between planning and rules, this paper probes into the transformation trend of planning thoughts from the perspective of complex system science, and compares the differences in the governance logic between planning and rules through an analysis on the formation of the two kinds of orders and the complexity of space use behaviors. On this basis, the paper puts forward the logic in the collaborative governance between planning and rules: based on the relational principle, it turns the existing general laws into rules and makes them function as bottom-line tools to maintain order and coordinate the relationship between different types of behaviors; based on the detailed planning process featuring group interaction, it actualizes the behavioral rules in space to coordinate the relationship between behavior types and space types. Through rule-based transformation of the detailed planning, the people-centered spontaneous order can be fostered. 

KEYWORDS: planning; rule; territorial detailed planning; complex system science; governance logic

♦THE ANCIENT CAPITAL CITY PLANNING IN EAST ASIA UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CHINESE CIVILIZATION: A CASE STUDY OF KOREA, JAPAN, AND VIETNAM 

Author: CAO Kang; LIN Huihui

ABSTRACT: Over thousands of years of urban planning evolution in China, a variety of capital city planning models have been formed and spread to East Asian countries because of the influence of Chinese civilization on neighboring countries. Based on longitudinal connection and horizontal comparison, this paper systematically analyzes how and in which aspects the three East Asian countries: Korea, Japan and Vietnam were influenced by ancient Chinese capital city planning in different periods. The findings reveal that, firstly, Korea, Japan and Vietnam differ from each other in the starting and ending times and ways of influence, mainly focusing on the Han people’s construction and management, and learning directly or indirectly from China. Secondly, these countries almost completely imitated China in terms of site selection and spatial structure of their capital cities. However, learning from different Chinese capital cities, they differ in the contents of learning and innovation. Thirdly, these East Asian countries followed the common philosophies in the planning for their capital cities, and at the same time they flexibly applied or improved the Chinese model in line with their own natural conditions and social situations. Generally speaking, these East Asian countries, under the influence of Chinese civilization, formed the capital planning models with both similarities and unique national characteristics, which are results of both learning and innovation and characterized by coexistence of commonality and difference. 

KEYWORDS: planning history; Chinese culture; planning model; Korea; Japan; Vietnam