Rethinking China’s Danwei: Lessons from the UK Housing Crisis

Abstract

<p>From London to Beijing, Vancouver to Berlin, there is a housing crisis of affordability, access, supply and quality. Despite considerable differences in urban conditions, context and policy frameworks, the problem is universal. Founded on the mechanics of financial speculation and the commodification of human needs, the marketisation of housing creates and exacerbates social, economic and environmental inequality.</p><p><br></p><p>Since 1997, under the banner of ‘regeneration’, UK housing policy has enabled the demolition, redevelopment and privatisation of social and council housing estates. This has reduced the UK’s stock of public housing, forced council tenants onto the private rental market and privatised lucrative inner-city land. in response, Architects for Social Housing has designed alternatives to demolition for 8 housing estates across London. These increase the amount of public housing, retrofit the existing stock and renovate the community facilities and landscapes, improving the ‘liveability’ of both the immediate and wider urban context.</p><p><br></p><p>This conference paper will explore how such proposals might be translated into the different policy, economic and architectural contexts of public housing in China. During the socialist planned economy from 1949, public housing provision in China was delegated to neighbourhood ‘work units’ or ‘<em>danwei’</em>. Managed by State Owned Enterprises, these housed 95% of China’s urban working population and their families in collective mixed-use living and working neighbourhoods. Since China’s economic reforms of 1979, the <em>danwei</em> have been under threat of demolition as a result of urban renewal policies and practices targeting lucrative inner-city land. Despite this many still house large working class communities in increasingly dilapidated environments.</p><p><br></p><p>This paper will outline key economic and social similarities and differences between China and the UK’s public housing, and propose possibilities for alternative regeneration strategies.</p>