- Sustainable Urban Conservation and Community Participation    click here to open paper content948 kb
by    ZHU, Longbin & Sippel, Gerd | longbin.zhu@gtz.de   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
A sustainable urban conservation concept linking heritage preservation to living condition improvement was introduced in Yangzhou Old City. A strategy in a process-oriented way was developed and tested in a pilot block with community participation.
Abstract
A substantial historic area with traditional neighborhoods characterized by 1 to 2 storey courtyard buildings remains in the inner city of Yangzhou China, but with rapid economic development and urbanization, the historic area is facing the risk of deteriorating and being swallowed for the usual redevelopment model of demolition and relocation as in many other Chinese cities. Because of the deteriorated physical condition of housing, poor municipal infrastructure and sanitary provision, many high-incomers and young generation are moving out to the new city areas with modern living conditions.

The Yangzhou Municipal Government, GTZ and Cities Alliance have cooperated to introduce the sustainable urban conservation concept which links heritage preservation to the improvement of living conditions of residents by upgrading the historic neighborhoods and supporting self-help initiatives. A long-term strategy following a participatory and process-oriented approach has been developed and tested. In a pilot block, residents were involved through Community Action Planning (CAP). Appropriate standards were agreed on and self-help modernization of houses and facades was supported so the living conditions were remarkably improved. The successful experience is being adopted for use throughout the entire old city, with considerations to disseminate the process as a model for other historic cities in China.

























Keywords
sustainable urban conservation; community participation; living condition improvement.
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2008: Urban Growth without Sprawl
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