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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Industrial space renewal in Hong Kong and Shanghai

and spatial development (Li & Chan, 2017a). Reading urban Since neoliberalism prevailed across the world in the
industrial space renewal from the perspective of political 1970s, there have been two main political-economic
economy, the process involves interactions between environments: roll-back neoliberalism, characterized by
stakeholders such as the original and new owners of the laissez-faire, deregulation and dismantlement of state
land (or buildings), the planning approval and compilation power, and roll-out neoliberalism, characterized by active
authorities, and the potential developers and tenants. This state intervention and re-regulation. These two types
is, essentially, space (re)production under the capitalist of governance ideologies have profoundly influenced
operation of society wherein social relations have been (re) development across the world (Peck & Tickell, 2002).
produced (Lefebvre, 1991). Therefore, it would be reasonable Laissez-faire economic policies stress on forces from the
to infer that industrial space renewal shall not isolate from private sector instead of government intervention, resulting
social restructuring and may result in disparity under in a “small government, big market” political-economic
different political-economic contexts. In this regard, Hong setup. Against this backdrop, planning approaches are
Kong and Shanghai are the selected cities for a comparative often gradual and progressive. The idea of progressive
observation given their similar industrial transitional reality planning believes that renewal and transformation begin
but dissimilar political-economic backgrounds: similar with partial, individual exploration and then being
transitional needs from industrial to post-industrial phase solidified as an integrated social regulation and culture
but dissimilar political-economic milieus shaped by the role (Healey, 2006). A political-economic environment that
and relation of government, market, and society. Both cities attaches importance to state regulation and intervention
have formulated policies and measures to guide industrial would suppress market mechanisms, resulting in a “strong
renewal, but Hong Kong grew in a free-market ideology government” or “omnipotent government.” In this context,
embracing “small government, big society” concept where planning approaches evolve as rational and comprehensive,
factories continued to be privatized, whereas Shanghai characterized by blueprint planning. Blueprint planning
underwent the transition from a centrally planned system to emphasizes the systematic promotion of functional, power,
a socialist market economy where statization was the main and spatial changes through meticulous methods and
theme for local factories. The main responsible stakeholders believes that elite decision-making should be assisted by
for industrial space (re)production in these two cities are, scientific methods and technical rationality (Taylor, 1998).
therefore, essentially different, and the renewal path and
consequences bear their unique characteristics, which will Renewal of industrial space occurs mostly in areas
be reviewed and discussed in the article. undergoing de-industrialization or post-industrialization,
where the proportion of industrial activities (especially
2. A political-economic analysis toward heavy industrial activities) has dropped significantly
urban industrial space renewal or transferred to other places or upgraded to
service industries due to rising capital or labor costs
There are two layers of political economy in this research (Iversen & Cusack, 2000). Since the 1960s, with a new
for follow-up study. First, it serves as the governance round of globalization and economic restructuring,
environment for industrial space renewal, in which cities are many cities have experienced de-industrialization or
undergoing an economic transition of deindustrialization post-industrialization, manifested in the abandonment
or post-industrialization, and disparity in urban politics and underutilization of factories and warehouses
leads to different renewal paths and planning modes. (Golland & Watkins, 2002; Andres & Gresillon, 2013;
Second, it offers a theoretical framework to unveil public– Marshall, 2014). The adjustment of economic structure
private forces and their interrelations. Change of power makes those traditional, productive buildings outdated or
structure and its relation with an urban function and space unused, calling for the transformation of industrial spaces
in industrial renewal are particularly emphasized. These
two layers are considered interdependent constituents for non-production purposes.
for political-economic analysis toward industrial space Although the economic environment of industrial
renewal in Shanghai and Hong Kong. space renewal is overall similar, differences in the political
environment often lead to diversified paths of functional
2.1. Urban political-economic environment and restructuring. In a political milieu where private force has
industrial space renewal been increasingly active, the renewal of cities was mostly

Obsolete industrial space is co-reshaped by state and private-led and initiated from the bottom. For instance,
market forces in cities. This means that different political- in America, though the large-scale reconstruction of
economic milieus may result in contrasting renewal paths overcrowded slums was promoted by the public sector
and planning modes. during the 1960s, urban renewal later in the 1980s

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