Page 34 - JCAU-5-2

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Renewal of industrial space in Hong Kong and

Shanghai: Policy review and comparison

Lingyue Li*, Yiwen Chen, and Yueli Xu
Department of Urban Planning, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shanghai, China
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Theoretical and Practical Innovations in Relation to China’s
Urban Regeneration)

Abstract

Industrial space renewal is a strategic planning choice for cities undergoing de-/
post-industrialization against the backdrop of land resource constraints. This study
reviewed industrial space renewal policies in Hong Kong and Shanghai from a political
economy perspective. With the analytical framework of political economy, the study
reveals that, in the power flow of industrial space renewal (stressed on ownership),
Hong Kong’s private sectors are active, and Shanghai is dominated by public power.
In the political and economic environment, differences in government and market
forces lead to different planning models and outcomes. Industrial building renewal
in Hong Kong is mostly progressive due to diversified developmental forces, whereas
industrial land renewal in Shanghai is mostly comprehensive and rational, assisted by
blueprint-based planning. Pros and cons are rooted in both cities. Thus, an in-depth
examination is of great significance for better decision-making in the future.
*Corresponding author:
Lingyue Li
(lilingyue929@gmail.com) Keywords: Reuse of industrial building; Transition of industrial land; Restructuring;
Citation: Li, L., Chen, Y., & Xu, Y. State-market; China
(2023). Renewal of industrial space
in Hong Kong and Shanghai: Policy
review and comparison. Journal of
Chinese Architecture and Urbanism,
5(2):0431. 1. Introduction
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0431
Renewal of industrial space refers to the reuse of industrial structures or built environments
Received: April 13, 2023
that are obsolete due to deindustrialization or post-industrialization. Such abandoned or
Accepted: June 9, 2023 underutilized space is often a brownfield, which has the potential for redevelopment or
Published Online: June 28, 2023 other economic opportunities. The specific definition of industrial space renewal varies,
depending on the targeted place and local policymakers. As a special, significant segment in
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an open-access article urban renewal, the renewal of industrial buildings or land is an indispensable issue against the
distributed under the terms of the backdrop of space resource constraints and socioeconomic transition in China. On the one
Creative Commons Attribution- hand, quotas for construction land are limited in large cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and
Non-Commercial 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all Shenzhen. Thus, urban land redevelopment, especially industrial land redevelopment, has
non-commercial use, distribution, been a crucial pathway toward high-quality built environment development. On the other
and reproduction in any medium, hand, reindustrialization in developed countries and the higher threshold for manufacturing
provided the original work is
properly cited. industry due to rising human capital and land costs have shocked the advantage of “made
in China,” thus dropping production in many places. Disentangling the transitional path
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with and dynamics behind it would assuredly buttress policymaking in industrial space renewal.
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Given the widespread prevalence of neoliberalism across the globe, political economy
affiliations. has proved to be a viable and explanatory lens for examining diverse urban phenomena

Volume 5 Issue 2 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0431