Urban villages in Shenshen

Abstract

Urban villages in Shenzhen have been playing essential roles as ‘arrival cities’ for migrants along with the rapid industrialization and urban development processes in the past three decades. Currently, Shenzhen is experiencing industrial upgrading and city re-profiling, transforming from the world factory to a world city. It is a crucial moment to re-think the future of urban villages. The scope of this paper includes the current morphology of such informal settlements, as well as planning strategies for future development, based on an overview of differentiated interests of stakeholders involved. In response to the ongoing large-scale tabula rasa model of urban regeneration in central urban districts, this paper proposes a collaborative and participatory planning and design approach, with special concern for maintaining the role of urban villages as affordable housing neighborhoods for migrant workers. Liveability is addressed as an urban value that could generate common interests among stakeholders.