Abstract
This chapter explores the ways of participation of local villagers in the redevelopment process of Liede Village in Guangzhou. Liede Village as the first to undergo complete demolishment and reconstruction is a so-called experimental pioneer in the process of redeveloping Guangzhou’s urbanized villages. Whereas usually most attention is paid to the key stakeholders like the government, developers, and the respective urbanized village joint-stock company, here the emphasis lies on the local villagers’ attempts to take part in the decision-making processes and on their informal coping strategies in a politically insecure and experimental environment. Even though they possess a rather passive role in the official proceeding, mainly being informed by the village’s joint-stock company, they nevertheless found informal ways to organize themselves and to articulate concerns in order to safeguard their interests. Clan ties, family structures, and intra-collective guanxi are demonstrated to be important factors that can be seen as crucial decision-making elements on the very grassroots level.
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Notes
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- 2.
The reconstruction of urbanized villages in Guangzhou City can basically be divided into two steps, starting with “the transformation of four systems.” This concept first means the administrational transformation of villagers of urbanized villages into citizens; second, the formal transformation of the villagers’ committee (cunweihui) into a residents’ committee; third, the transformation of collective-owned land into state-owned land, with villagers’ property ownership into state-owned properties; and fourth, the transformation of the collective economic danwei under the management of villagers’ committee into a shareholding joint-stock company (gufen gongsi).
- 3.
Between 2007 and 2012, information displayed in the bulletin board of the village and on-site (re)development photos were constantly collected, which provided some lively documents and clues for the investigation and research. Intensive field observations of villagers’ daily lives, spatial changes, and community activities such as discussion groups have been undertaken. Many primary sources could be generated through structured and unstructured interviews, the community online forum, and various official reconstruction documents. During the long-term observation, a close relationship network could be established that helped to remain updated and informed about developments. Through these grassroots research activities, the villagers’ participation could be directly experienced and documented.
- 4.
On the new mayor press conference held on 30 January 2007, the Mayor of Guangzhou Zhang Guangning said, “Real estate is welcomed to participate in the old town regeneration and urbanized village reconstruction!” On the Guangdong & Hong Kong economic and trade cooperation exchange held on 3 August 2007, Zhang Guangning invited Hong Kong’s developers to participate in the new town development, old town regeneration, and urbanized village reconstruction.
- 5.
The construction of the prospective CBD of Guangzhou became the fundamental driver for Liede’s reconstruction. On the one hand, the relocation compensation which came from the construction of Liede Bridge and municipal roads, and from the dredging of Liedeyong project, could only start the reconstruction of Liede. On the other hand, the construction of metro-line number five and the development of the underground foundation of Zhujiang New Town increased Liede’s location advantages and land value. Sufficient capital was raised through land market trade to make the reconstruction feasible.
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It follows “The Liede Village Overall Reconstruction Implementation Plan.”
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According to the plan of Liede reconstruction, some important temples and the dragon boat lake were rebuilt on the east parcel in order to preserve local traditional culture.
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The final stage, which will not be elaborated in detail in this chapter, is the implementation and completion of reconstruction and the villagers’ resettlement in the new residential buildings.
- 9.
In 2002, the village committee of Liede Village was changed into the Liede joint-stock company (JSC). The members of the village committee now work in the JSC. Therefore, in this article the village committee and JSC are interchangeable.
- 10.
Xinkuai News (2007) Why Cannot the Original Appearance of Liede Village Be Preserved? http://news.21cn.com/xkb/gz/2007/11/06/3839382.shtml [accessed 03.12.2007].
- 11.
According to the Organization Law of Village Committees of the People’s Republic of China, there is one rule stating that “Any items that concern the interests of villagers could not be implemented until they were passed at the villagers’ conference”. The reconstruction of Liede could not be implemented until more than 80 % of all villagers agree to The Plan of Demolition, Compensation and Resettlement.
- 12.
The principle of “The Preliminary Plan of Compensation and Resettlement of Liede’s Reconstruction” is “dismantle one and rebuild one”. The villagers’ resettlement compensation adopts a ladder replacement method with a maximum of four floors. Namely, the licensed area of less than the two floors can build the second floor, and so on, and the fourth and above shall be compensated according to its licensed area. For the villagers who want to increase their resettlement area, they shall pay 3,500 Yuan/m2, or they can also choose to give up the rest of the resettlement area, and the village collectives will compensate them at 1,000 yuan/m2. For example, if a villager has a licensed area of less than the two floors, suppose 150 m2, so he or she can achieve a building area of 200 m2 according to the compensation plan, of which 150 m2 is compensated for free according to the “dismantle-one-and-rebuild-one” principle. The remaining 50 m2, if he or she wants to buy, will cost 3,500 yuan/m2; if not, the village collectives will compensate him or her at 1,000 yuan/m2. The excess unlicensed area will not be compensated with space but with building material.
- 13.
The website was http://www.liede.cn [accessed 12.10.2007]. Now it is updated as http://gjj.cc/GuangDong/ShengHuo/liede.htm [accessed 02.05.2012].
- 14.
One villager said, “Signing means to hand over the village to the government and developers. Even though we are dissatisfied after signing, we have no right or opportunity to bargain again. However, I can still negotiate before signing, and I won’t sign before I am satisfied with the compensation standard” (2007.05.14, a 35 year-old villager).
- 15.
One villager said, “Generally, most villagers don’t want to be the first ones to sign the plan of demolition, compensation and resettlement as it seems too risky. When most people sign their names, it will make us feel safer as a lot of people share the risk. If there anything happens we can fight together anyway” (2010.04.14, a 24 year-old female villager).
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Tan, X., Schoon, S. (2014). Villagers’ Participation in Mega-Urban Upgrading. Liede Village: Guangzhou’s Pioneer. In: Altrock, U., Schoon, S. (eds) Maturing Megacities. Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6674-7_11
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