Participatory micro-regeneration: governing urban redevelopment in Qinghe, Beijing

Area of Science:

• Urban Studies, Sociology, Political Science

Background:

• Urban regeneration in China increasingly involves participatory approaches.
• The Foucauldian concept of governmentality offers a framework for analyzing state control and subject formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the applicability of governmentality to understand participatory micro-regeneration in urban China.
• To analyze how the Chinese state employs community participation and self-governance for social governance objectives.

Main Methods:

• Governmentality approach applied to participatory micro-regeneration projects in Qinghe, Beijing.
• Analysis of state-led governmental technologies and citizen engagement in decision-making and implementation.

Main Results:

• Citizen participation is exercised but guided by state-structured expertise.
• Participation is instrumentalized by the state for social governance and people-centered development goals.
• Tensions and resistance within participatory regeneration hinder the development of self-governed communities.

Conclusions:

• Governmentality provides valuable insights into state strategies for managing urban regeneration through participation.
• The instrumentalization of participation raises questions about genuine community self-governance.
• Observed resistance highlights the complexities and limitations of state-controlled participatory processes.