Book Description

"Gated communities, which typically refer to residential compounds that have strict boundaries with entrances guarded by securities and other technology appliances for surveillance, are the most common developments in Chinese cities over the past few decades. These enclosures of isolated city blocks have caused heated discussion since The CPC (Central Committee and State Council) published a guildline in 2016 to prohibit the construction of Gated communities in Chinese cities. For unique historical and social-cultural reasons, “Gated” has been deeply embedded in Chinese traditional dwelling ideology for a long time, and it is still widely accepted by the vast majority as a symbol of security as well as proprietorship, driven by the real estate market to date. However, contemporary China is now entering a more complex phase of privatization, and the previous living pattern is hardly meeting the needs of different hierarchies and is becoming one of the causal factors triggering a series of urban issues in people’s ever-changing lives, such as traffic, the environment, and social well-being. Practices towards an integrated urban community are starting to appear by following western patterns, but merely copying these patterns will very easily lead to contextual failures. This paper will discuss a new framework for designing a future integrated urban community in cities of China and provide a design proposal for an integrated community based on a site in Beijing. By developing the prototype, this paper will attempt to establish the tone for sustainable community practice in a bigger realm, in particular, the concern of social sustainability and resiliency. Several outstanding urban projects are taken as precedents, e.g., POTSDAMER PLATZ, LINKED HYBRID, BARBICAN center, Coop Housing at River Spreefeld, which are evaluated mainly from the perspectives of their design strategy and implementation. The final design proposal aims to advocate physical interaction in a walkable, bikeable community without eliminating the sense of security, and to enhance people's sense of community."--Abstract.