From a comparative perspective of overseas urban renewal, this paper specifically analyzes the development characteristics of urban renewal in different countries and regions overseas, summarizes the trends in overseas urban renewal, and summarizes practical lessons from overseas urban renewal, aiming to provide valuable experience for Guangdong's "Three Olds" renovation.
Since 2019, under the guidance of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources, the Guangdong Association has organized 11 key research projects, covering multiple professional fields of "Three Olds" renovation. Currently, all projects have completed final acceptance, and some results have been adopted by the competent authorities. These will gradually be transformed into provincial policy documents or technical regulations, promoting the standardized development of the province's "Three Olds" renovation work. This research topic is based on 11 acceptance projects, and is hereby recommended for readers' enjoyment.
This article is reprinted from the "Guangdong Three Olds Renovation Association" official WeChat account.
1. Characteristics of Overseas Urban Renewal Development
By summarizing the urban renewal history of countries and regions such as the UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and analyzing the laws, regulations, policy systems, and governance structures in urban renewal in each country and region, the main characteristics of overseas urban renewal are summarized as follows:
01 Establish a sound policy and regulatory system
Urban renewal policies and legal systems exist in various countries and regions. Urban renewal policies have been elevated to national or regional strategic and policy priorities. The highest authorities in the country or region have corresponding leadership bodies, forming a comprehensive top-level design that clarifies the urban renewal strategic model, competent departments, cooperating departments, and funding arrangements. From the institutional system perspective, a legal framework centered on urban renewal management regulations and related special supporting measures has been established. Each region provides support based on regional characteristics, ensuring legal compliance for land transfer, property rights consolidation, public participation, and implementation processes.
02 Planning and management tailored to local conditions
Urban renewal involves complex relationships, and each country or region has flexible planning systems to support it. For example, countries or regions such as Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and the United Kingdom implement flexible land use change systems, allowing a certain proportion of land use change flexibility within specific areas to provide cities with flexible construction and development space; The UK, US, Japan, Taiwan, and others have implemented floor area ratio reward systems and formulated detailed management methods, providing differentiated floor area ratio rewards for different construction types in different regions to attract social capital to participate in urban renewal projects; Hong Kong's implementation of development rights transfer has freed previously frozen and unusable space development rights. In addition, each region has policy-based preferential renewal zones. For specific areas of special value within the city (such as city centers, key development zones, specialty functional zones, or historic cultural districts, etc.), a series of statutory preferential and incentive measures are adopted through a combination of "goals + means," such as special purpose zones in the United States, corporate zones in the UK, and renewal areas in Taiwan, China. Each country and region formulates locally adapted planning systems based on their own urban renewal environments and characteristics to promote smooth urban renewal development.
03 Innovate urban renewal organizational models
The more detailed urban organizational models in Europe and America have basically gone through a process from central and local governments as the main participants, to government and private investment partners, and finally to the joint implementation and control of urban renewal and development by the government, private sector, and local groups. Since the 1990s, Asian countries and regions have shown a trend from "mainly government-run" to "government-led and privately run" initiatives. The government has transferred power, gradually allowing developers to act as implementers of urban renewal. Combine "civil petition and official review" with the government's early formulation of urban renewal plans. A bottom-up, demand-oriented urban renewal path has been established. At the same time, in this process, the government did not completely withdraw from urban renewal but shifted to serving the market. The government's main responsibilities in this process were supervision and management, information aggregation, interest coordination, legal remedies, protection of minority groups, and historical and cultural preservation. This public-private partnership reduces government economic costs, minimizes conflicts between the government and the market, and greatly improves the efficiency of urban renewal.
04 Implement policy tools that combine incentives and enforcement
Countries and regions have adopted certain incentive policies and some enforcement policies during urban renewal. The incentive policies include financial subsidies, floor area ratio incentives, and special financing loans. These incentive policies have played a certain incentive role in promoting urban renewal for countries in the process of urban renewal. In addition, some countries have also adopted mandatory measures to balance pros and cons, strengthening regulation and guidance. For example, some Asian countries and regions have adopted forced sales of property rights and land based on the majority principle in urban renewal, which to some extent effectively avoids the phenomenon of "holdouts" and improves urban renewal efficiency.
05 Focus on public participation
Public participation in urban renewal processes is relatively high across countries and regions. Protect public participation rights at every stage of urban renewal projects. Diversified public participation subjects. The public participation targets break the boundaries of government, owners, and developers; residents around the renewal project, other citizens throughout the city, as well as scholars and industry associations, are also subjects for participation and consultation. Diverse ways of public participation. In addition to traditional participation methods such as general forums and surveys, local governments invite local residents and homeowners to participate in urban renewal design. Additionally, online public platforms provide diverse channels for public participation.
2. Trends in Overseas Urban Renewal Development
Based on the urban renewal development experiences of countries such as the UK, France, Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, the trends in urban renewal development are as follows:
01 Conceptually: from material renewal to human-centered sustainable renewal
Urban renewal concepts are constantly evolving, with countries and regions experiencing a shift from material renewal to human-centered sustainable renewal. With the continuous development of urban renewal, the connotation and concept of urban renewal have evolved from improving the material environment to pursuing comprehensive urban functions and vitality, revitalizing the city's social and cultural aspects, creating job opportunities, improving the city's economy and finances, and enhancing urban competitiveness. Now, to humanistic values, urban renewal is increasingly emphasizing a "people-oriented" value orientation, with the goal of gradually meeting people's needs with a "people-oriented" approach.
02 In terms of model: from government-led to market-led, and then to multi-party participation
From a government-led model to a multi-party participation composite renewal governance model. The main entities implementing urban renewal in Europe, America, and Asian countries and regions have gone through a process from central and local governments leading the cooperation between government and private investors, and then to local groups such as the government, private sector, and communities jointly carrying out and organizing urban renewal development. After World War II, the first and second phases of urban renewal were government-led. In the third stage, with the rise of free market politics, private sector gradually became the main force in urban renewal, shifting toward market-oriented real estate development. The government also encouraged public-private cooperation in urban renewal. In the fourth stage, accompanied by the introduction of the human-centered concept, urban renewal places greater emphasis on community participation, making multi-party participation gradually become the main organizational model.
03 In terms of method: from demolition and reconstruction to comprehensive renovation, and then to small-scale segmented renewal
Changes in urban renewal methods can be seen as shifting from "large-scale demolition and large-scale construction" demolition and reconstruction to small-scale, segmented renewal. After World War II, the main form of urban renewal in Western countries, Asian countries, and regions was demolition and reconstruction, focusing on the renewal of the physical environment. Since the 1980s, urban renewal has emphasized the role of the market, gradually shifting from large-scale comprehensive government renovations to small-scale market-oriented project renovations. In the 1990s, urban renewal mainly focused on small-scale, segmented, and gradual organic renewal.
3. Insights from Overseas Urban Renewal Practices
Changes in urban renewal methods can be seen as shifting from "large-scale demolition and large-scale construction" demolition and reconstruction to small-scale, segmented renewal. After World War II, the main form of urban renewal in Western countries, Asian countries, and regions was demolition and reconstruction, focusing on the renewal of the physical environment. Since the 1980s, urban renewal has emphasized the role of the market, gradually shifting from large-scale comprehensive government renovations to small-scale market-oriented project renovations. In the 1990s, urban renewal mainly focused on small-scale, segmented, and gradual organic renewal.
01 The urban renewal philosophy emphasizes a people-oriented approach, focuses on social fairness, and emphasizes the protection of historical and cultural heritage
The "people-oriented" concept of overseas urban renewal is reflected in many aspects of urban renewal. People-oriented, clearly encompassing a comprehensive renewal concept that includes social, cultural, economic, and environmental goals, protecting the interests of diverse groups, and promoting social fairness. For example, in terms of urban renewal concepts, optimize and update urban renewal in a reasonable and orderly manner, balancing cultural protection and urban character development with humanistic care; In planning and design, it emphasizes the overall urban features, designing urban spaces based on human activity and behavior; In terms of implementation models, it emphasizes improving urban spatial quality through public participation; In terms of social fairness, emphasis is placed on protecting the interests of vulnerable groups. In terms of historical and cultural preservation, respect history and create and maintain a "sense of place." For example, in the UK's urban renewal process, the focus is on heritage preservation, using the method of restoring the old to minimize damage to historic buildings. At the same time, supporting structures are constructed to match the style and features of these buildings, allowing them to naturally blend into their surroundings. In France, while protecting historical and cultural heritage, the maintenance of historic buildings is mainly driven by market mechanisms, establishing property rights loans to promote maintenance, specifically to encourage homeowners to renovate their traditional buildings, with low-interest loans specifically designed to encourage homeowners to renovate their traditional buildings.
02 Strengthening and improving legislation is a powerful guarantee for advancing urban renewal work
Many countries (regions) have established strict legal and policy systems for urban renewal. By establishing a relatively complete legal and policy system for urban renewal, which clearly stipulates the content, objectives, procedures, and responsibilities of all parties in urban renewal, and guides urban renewal work through legal constraints, contradictions and problems in urban renewal and transformation are incorporated into the legal track for resolution, giving urban renewal a legal basis. For example, Japan has clarified the content, objectives, procedures, planning and design, funding sources, and penalties for land readjustment based on legislation, while South Korea has leveraged a comprehensive legal system to address issues of land allocation and social benefits under multiple ownership systems.
03 Emphasize the refinement and institutionalization of planning management
First, emphasize humanized and refined planning management. In Japan's urban renewal process, meticulous and humanized management is rooted in urban planning and design concepts and construction. For example, Japan's urban planning system emphasizes human-centered design principles, with each public space in a project serving the public and society. Urban planning and design emphasize care for people with disabilities, while office buildings consider employee rest and travel convenience. In addition, the architectural and transportation system designs also pay attention to detail, highlighting a user-friendly approach. Second, emphasize the institutionalization of planning management. For example, in Japan, urban renewal has established laws and systems such as "regional planning," "designated blocks," and "urban renewal emergency construction areas" to achieve land use conversion within certain areas or to change restrictions such as floor area ratio and height. To incentivize urban renewal, "many planning systems clearly include clear floor area ratio incentive measures, and floor area ratio incentives are an important means for the government to promote urban renewal." This planning policy, which uses various floor area ratio controls for different urban functional areas, highlights the energy level standards of key functional areas through floor area ratios, forms the baseline relationships of Tokyo's urban space.
04 Establish dedicated management agencies to play an indispensable and important role of the government
From overseas urban renewal experience, the UK established urban development companies, and the US established the Urban Renewal Agency to promote urban renewal work as an organizational guarantee. It can be seen that in a market economy environment of free competition, government specialized management agencies still need to play an important role in urban renewal work. As the main body that coordinates the interests of all parties, the government leverages its credibility to coordinate and organize various interest groups and to solve problems encountered in renewal work, playing a very important role.
05 Fully respect residents' right to participate
Overseas urban renewal places great emphasis on residents' right to participate. The government places great emphasis on planning guidance and social participation. By building a platform for brainstorming, experts in the field, responsible organizations, and stakeholders can actively participate in urban renewal planning. For example, at the municipal level in Japan, construction bureaus establish a dedicated Future City Promotion Section, responsible for collaborating with specialized urban development agencies to study future regional development plans. After the plan is finalized, hearings are held with academia, business, stakeholders, and residents to gather detailed opinions and suggestions. During the urban renewal process in New York, the planning department engages in thorough communication and discussion with community committees and residents, widely soliciting residents' opinions and visions for renewal, using their demands as important references for planning and involving them in the planning and renewal process.
06 Prioritize retaining housing opportunities for low-income groups
Overseas urban renewal emphasizes a people-oriented approach, with the interests of vulnerable groups also receiving attention and protection. For example, urban renewal in New York emphasizes protecting the housing rights of low-income groups, but this protection does not completely sacrifice developers' interests; instead, it guides developers and homeowners to retain a certain proportion of low-rent housing through tax incentives, low-interest loans, and partial increases in floor area ratio. Various housing options are available for different social classes. For example, adding microhomes is a major choice for urban renewal in Boston, Barcelona, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and other cities. These microhomes range from 300 to 600 square feet (28-55 m²) and are equipped with larger public areas such as public workspaces, entertainment spaces, and dining areas. These housing mainly cater to migrant workers, local residents, and young people in innovative fields; In addition, the government provides certain subsidies to low-income residents, waiving property management fees to meet the local housing needs of low-income groups.
