In just four decades, China has undergone the world’s fastest urbanization. In the 1970s, only 18 percent of its population lived in cities; today, that figure has risen to 67 percent, totaling over 940 million people. This rapid transformation has been driven by a construction and real estate boom, which has fueled the economy.

But once the buildings are completed and the dust from the expansion settles, what comes next for the city? In this episode, we sit down with architects and urban planners to explore China’s next phase of urbanization: How they are rebuilding a sense of community, renovating aging buildings, and making cities more eco-friendly, livable, and even distinctive.

Guests:

Eric Le Khanh is a French architect and urban planner based in Beijing.

Zhang Jingqiu is the co-founder and lead architect of IARA Design and Research Office.

Liu Jue is the managing editor of The World of Chinese.

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The following are excerpts from the transcript of the episode (edited for clarity):

03:18

Aladin Farré: Since you’ve all spent quite a bit of time in China, could you briefly describe how you’ve seen cities either being born or reborn?

Liu Jue: I moved to Beijing over 20 years ago. We only had two subway lines back then, and now there are what, 17 or 19? The city has definitely gotten bigger. The streets have gotten cleaner, and things are more orderly. But I also feel there’s a certain loss of vibrancy, like real life is fading a bit. People don’t seem as connected as they used to be. I remember about ten years ago, we were covering neighborhoods that were considered “urban villages,” right by the CBD. Now they’ve all been upgraded. Places like that don’t exist in Beijing anymore.

Eric Le Khanh: In 2003, when I first arrived in Shanghai, I was constantly traveling to other cities for projects. It was a real hassle to travel from Shanghai to Tianjin or Suzhou. While we often talked about urbanization, what I witnessed the most—aside from the massive construction of residential projects—was the infrastructure, which changed dramatically over 10 to 15 years.

Inside the city, back in the 1960s or 70s, urban planning was mostly determined by the danwei (work units), with large residential areas dedicated to a single company. But now, Beijing has changed a lot and developed a more sophisticated approach to urban planning. We also talk more about building green and public spaces.

10:51

Aladin: Jingqiu, could you tell us a bit about your current project?

Jingqiu: We are working on renovation projects in “urban villages” in Dongguan (Guangdong province). These are underdeveloped villages surrounded by urban landscapes, and they’re facing many challenges, such as safety issues and conflicts between locals and migrant workers. In our project last year, “Urban Revitalization,” we took two approaches. In the past, urban regeneration often meant demolishing everything, but now we try to preserve what’s there while improving upon it. This micro approach to projects is like applying acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine: we enter a village and focus on the critical spots—like a neglected public area. It’s both cost-effective and helps keep the local community intact.

15:58

Aladin: Eric, you worked on eco neighborhood projects, and the concept is starting to catch on in Chinese cities. Could you explain the concept of eco-cities and what you have worked on?

Eric: What is an eco-city? It’s a space, whether a large area or an entire city, that must meet various standards across many parameters, including urbanization, transportation, and air quality. I worked on an eco-urban planning project in the Longquanyi district in Chengdu (Sichuan province). Sometimes, we forget how people lived just a hundred years ago in a more natural way. We need to consider local elements in urban design, such as the sun, wind, and trees—how they change in winter and summer, and other natural factors.

20:10

Aladin: Our final part of the show is about renovating old buildings. Liu Jue, could you explain a little bit about that story?

Jue: China enjoyed decades of rapid economic growth, but now the pace has slowed. Many buildings were constructed during this fast-growing era, and they come with a number of issues, from outdated construction standards to subpar materials, making them difficult to maintain. Renovations require the consent of the majority of homeowners, but some are unwilling to spend the money. One person we interviewed said they haven’t been able to fix their exterior walls for over a decade. This is just to show how China’s urbanization happened so quickly that it led to many new challenges, while laws and regulations often lag behind.

Jingqiu: I think we’ve encountered similar issues in urban villages, where tiles are falling off, too. Of course, it’s different because it’s personal property, not collective property, but it’s still very difficult to get everyone to agree to change the facade and update other facilities at the same time. But it creates risks within the community. If a tile falls on someone’s head, it’s another potential accident. We are still lagging behind in terms of regulations, order, and the law. But I believe this is a common issue, and eventually, we’ll catch up with the challenges.

Eric: Renovation is a huge market now because, as the government recognizes, they can’t keep building new things forever. As we say in France, “construire la ville sur la ville”—“building the city on the city.” When I first arrived in China, I faced an empty plot of land where I had to build five square kilometers of buildings. Now, China is facing a new challenge: taking care of existing buildings and becoming more conscious of the environment and the future—and the past, because every city has a history. I love this work because renovation allows you to be involved in the lives of the people. My duty is not just to provide a service, but also to offer a dream to those who will continue to live there. It’s my passion.

26:04

Aladin: What are your thoughts on how culture and cultural industries are being used to push the city’s development?

Jingqiu: A good example of how cultural programs can help start new development in the city would be the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Biennale, initiated in 2017 in Nantou Gucheng (ancient town), an urban village in Shenzhen. The biennale brought cultural programs and small renovations to the village. Today, Nantou Gucheng has become a destination, with its main street lined with stalls, designer stores, restaurants, and cafes.

Eric: I took part in a renovation project in Yangliuqing, an ancient town in Tianjin known for its traditional woodblock New Year paintings. The project included the creation of a museum and various cultural events centered around the traditional woodblock printing technique. There’s also Pu’er in Yunnan, where they held events around tea. These are all very nice cultural events. Many small cities in China have a unique cultural appeal, which they use to develop the local economy and advance urban projects. Culture is definitely a very strong factor.

Jue: All Chinese cities are trying to find their unique feature, like a name card, to attract tourists. For instance, Wuzhen in Zhejiang province is known for its theater festival. It’s also a town built around waterways. If food culture counts, Shanxi is known for its vinegar. There are vinegar museums where you can taste the variety, like in a vineyard.

Jingqiu: Like Eric said, cultural events in small cities are very important to connect people. One example we did is in Huangshan, a small city in Anhui province. We created a memory museum for the locals. They gather in the physical space we created to celebrate weddings and festivals with the community. The sense of community pride is also very important for connecting everyone. Back to the topic of people and urbanization, the city is for its people. To activate all participants and get them involved is important because urban regeneration is not only about creating more space, it’s really about rebuilding this trust, these bonds, and this sense of belonging. That’s what I want to share as my last thoughts.