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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Is it a matter of design?

to slightly above 10% in 1949. This trend shows no sign Nevertheless, the ideological component inherent in the
of reversing. Agricultural mechanization will only partially political campaign fostering rural development may offer,
offset the emigration of peasants, further weakening and in some cases, already has offered, a solid alternative
rural economies and interconnected sociocultural approach. China operates under the framework of socialism
aspects. However, experts have noted that as the world with Chinese characteristics, a hybrid economic system
grapples with escalating geopolitical conflicts and trade where the party-state plays a central role within a regulated
protectionism, which impact global food supply chains, market environment, often with participation from state-
ensuring food security has become the top priority for owned enterprises. In this setup, economic competition is
China and many other countries worldwide. While urban not solely dictated by internal mechanisms but can also be
farming is receiving growing attention, it remains clear influenced by external factors such as party ideology and
that the crucial battle is being fought in the countryside, the operational capacity of the state. These external forces
where large-scale operations, logistics, and labor can be have the potential to shape the values prioritized in rural
more structurally reorganized. transformations.
At the same time, the slogan “lucid waters and lush Coming to the second point, and connected to this
mountains are invaluable assets” (Xi, 2014, p. 25) embodies aspect, we can trace another design attitude unveiling in
the essence of current ideological environmentalism, a the form of artistic – assuming that this word has a sense
mantra written in the Constitution (Halskov et al., 2018), in architecture – endeavors to propel local economies and
whose pragmatic effects unveil lights and shadows. In a sense of place. Evidence shows that design disciplines
addition, the increasing role of rural tourism and cultural can contribute to empirically sorting out more adaptable
awakening in the domestic flux of people and money decision-making criteria that are responsive to the
urges sensible approaches to necessary modifications. specific conditions and people involved in transformation
These contradictory objectives frequently entail the processes. A decade ago, architects faced a paradoxical
transformation of entire settlements or sections of urban situation, as Lin (2013) outlined, wherein they needed to
fabrics, literally reshaping the rural landscape rural reinvent themselves to engage in transformation processes
landscape. where their expertise was initially not sought. However, this
Among the design attitudes traceable in the current scenario has since undergone significant transformation.
transformative practices, two opposite ones emerge. There is now a radical shift, with leadership increasingly
On the one side, we find projects externally driven recognizing the potential role of design across various
by forces and disciplines sensible to what we may call scales, thereby creating space for new social and creative
the tyranny of numbers, following patterns of what is commitments (Semprebon, 2023).
termed “scientific rationalization.” While the term itself This shift is evident in numerous recent initiatives within
is not inherently negative, acknowledging the benefits of academic (Berta et al., 2023; Lee, 2015; Semprebon, 2022c),
projects with quantifiable positive impacts, it becomes cultural (Li, 2018), and professional spheres (Bolchover &
problematic, particularly for design disciplines, when Lin, 2014; He, 2021; Tiantian et al., 2020; Zhang, 2018). By
the measurable outputs of project execution constrain or acknowledging the influence of both internal and external
hinder the potential inherent in design activities. In these forces on economic competition and rural development,
approaches, the process of transformation appears to be design disciplines can play a vital role in navigating these
guided and evaluated solely by quantitative parameters, complexities and fostering more flexible approaches to
often neglecting qualitative aspects. Pursuing numerical decision-making. Naturally, design fields have to mobilize
metrics such as optimizing grain production, introducing proactively in the context of operation and within the
modern amenities, or engaging in land speculation, the legislative and political framework.
formulas applied have frequently marginalized community Rural revitalization, which has become a critical
involvement in decision-making processes and disregarded priority in China as the country grapples with challenges
the preservation of local traditions and artifacts. Relying stemming from rapid urbanization and industrialization, is
on conventional and previously tested solutions, entire not news per se. The novelty comes from its comprehensive
hamlets and villages have been displaced, with residents consideration of developmental aspects from all angles,
relocated and only later reintegrated into more efficiently paying more attention to altering sites and welcoming
designed habitats, often constructed with minimal budgets impulses from various directions. Such a broad scope is
(Smith, 2021; Semprebon, 2022b). supported by specific pillars, some of which are worthy of
Given this context, the role of design disciplines mention (Chen et al., 2023). Agricultural modernization
in the development process may come into question. aims to promote modern agricultural practices, adopt

Volume 6 Issue 3 (2024) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3370