Chongqing- Zaozilanya area at Yuzhong District, one of the best examples for the reconstruction of residential areas, has accelerated urbanization and impacted the progress of urban renewal in Southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality.

What's urban renewal?

The 2021 Chinese government work report proposed developing and expanding urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas, promoting urbanization with counties as an important carrier, and implementing urban renewal actions.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a paradigm shift in urban development involves accelerating urban renewal by redeveloping and upgrading the functions of old residential areas, old factory areas, old blocks, and urban villages among other idle zones, promoting the renovation of old buildings, and actively expanding new parking lots and charging piles.

Specifically, the key to transforming old communities is to focus on the points that residents are most concerned with. The reconstructed community can make up for what is lacking, improving what the residents need, and solving the problems they care about most.

For example, in light of the actual conditions of old communities in Chongqing, problems such as elevator installation, residential parking, fire safety, and other issues that the residents have strongly complained about shall be solved immediately, speeding up the completion of shortcomings in infrastructure, public facilities, and management services.

What happened in the Zaozilanya area?

The Zaozilanya area was built in the 1980s and 1990s, with 1,100 households in 11 residential buildings.

In the past, the Zaozilanya area saw uneven terrain and the lack of infrastructure, making dirty, chaotic, and poor conditions increasingly prominent.

Throughout the transformation of the old community, the community started with the governance of public space and provided residents with a bright and tidy community environment.

As a typical mountain-oriented residential space, the Zaozilanya area not only adds a new access trail (called "Skywalk") but also provides more leisure space for residents after the renovation. 

"Seniors like us find the Skywalk is user-accessible, especially among the ones with disabilities struggle," said Zhan Changhua, a 68-year-old woman living in the Zaozilanya area for over 60 years. "As a mature resident living in the community, I am happy to see those changes, which bring tremendous convenience to people's lives and increase residents' happiness and sense of belonging."

On the Skywalk, the guide belt was painted in red and yellow to connect the main traffic flow lines of the entire community brightly and vividly, which enhances the bond between the community and the city.

According to Tao Ping, a manager of the Huafuxiang Community Property Service Center in Daxigou Street, Yuzhong District, they have strengthened patrols of the Skywalk every day and regularly performed the environmental management of the Zaozilanya community to maintain sanitation.

Local government deems to update the appearance of many old communities to meet the people's new expectations for a better life. 

Throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the renovation plan for old communities in Yuzhong District has implemented an overall renovation of approximately 1.2 million square meters and a comprehensive renovation of approximately 8.66 million square meters, of which approximately 2.28 million square meters will be implemented in 2021.