Many spaces under the bridges in Chongqing have been converted to sports fields. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)

Chongqing - "Urban renewal is about renewing people and connecting hearts. Its highest aim is to discover enduring beauty amid changing times, through existing physical spaces and an awareness of aesthetics," said Yu Ying, Deputy Director of the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, at a recent symposium in Chongqing. 

Experts and practitioners from Beijing, Shandong, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Chongqing shared how better homes can support better lives.

A good home must be safe, comfortable, green, and smart

Kong Peng, Director of the Research Center for Sustainable Community at Tsinghua University's School of Architecture, shared an example: a project in Beijing's Daxing District converted idle office property into government-subsidized rental housing. The renovation took just 75 days and achieved an occupancy rate of 92.8%. He summarized: cut costs via policy alignment, boost value with technology, and create financial exit paths.

Liang Hao, a green building and urban renewal expert at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, outlined four policy-level standards for a "good home": safety, comfort, greenness, and smartness. He stressed that building good homes is where the traditional construction industry converges with new energy, materials, and technologies.

On the technical front, Wan Ming, Marketing Director at Jinhua Xinsheng Zeolite Development Co., Ltd., introduced a crack-resistant, siliceous waterproofing agent derived from natural zeolite. Its performance far surpasses conventional waterproofing materials. He emphasized that waterproofing old buildings requires targeted technological solutions to bring aging structures back to life.

Grassroots practice needs less intervention, more participation

Urban renewals should begin at the grassroots level where the beneficiaries are. 

Li Weitao, a Chongqing architect, shared his model: instead of large-scale demolition and reconstruction, small functional spaces are inserted at targeted points, leaving the stage to businesses and residents. The Jiangling Teahouse, his latest design project, has recently drawn attention in Chongqing and is a direct expression of this philosophy.

Zhang Jiuhe, project director of Chongqing Shifang Art Center, recounted five years of fieldwork in Laozhaojing Village, Pu'er, Yunnan Province. Her team worked with villagers to improve the living environment and connect with universities and social organizations to stimulate the agency of both villagers and creative entrepreneurs. The village received 35,000 visitors during the 2025 Chinese New Year holiday.

Zhang said, "When everyone builds together, governs together, and benefits together, the ultimate goal is to equip everyone with the ability to respond flexibly to new challenges as they arise."

He Bing, a deputy chief planner from China Urban Development Planning & Design Consulting Co., Ltd., argued that the core of urban renewal has shifted from building physical infrastructure to serving people. 

He stressed that practitioners must spend extended time on the ground, using firsthand experience to observe and understand the city, very much like an anthropologist.

Resident participation is key to successful urban renewal

Hence, the symposium also engaged with the residents and civil servants from the sub-district offices

Tao Lin, a community civil servant in Yuzhong District, introduced their community workday initiative: on the fourth Thursday of each month, all government staff sit down in courtyards and residential buildings. To date, they have held 89 community service events and addressed 353 public concerns.

Resident representative Luo Jing shared how her mindset changed: "At first, we were skeptical and worried that urban renewal would erase what we remember of the place. But then we saw that the streets and lanes became more beautiful, our suggestions were adopted, and neighborly ties grew stronger." She felt that being heard and seen was more precious than anything.

Urban renewal team members Li Jialu and Wang Yuanling described how they reached out to the residents they work with: using cameras and words to document everyday moments for 100 ordinary residents, creating emotional ties and awakening a sense of community that fuels renewal.