An Urban Regeneration Regime in China: A Case Study of Urban Redevelopment in Shanghai's Taipingqiao Area

Abstract

This article investigates Taipingqiao urban redevelopment projects in Shanghai that have conserved the traditional 'Shikumen' architectural form with the goal of exploring the driving-forces behind Shanghai's spatial restructuring and to shed light on the new mechanisms for public-private partnership evolving in China. A model called a 'rent gap seeking regime' (RGSR) is proposed to explain the mechanisms behind China's urban redevelopment. It is found that the logic of capital accumulation has dominated the reshaping of Shikumen's spatial forms and has been transformed into symbolic real estate values. It is argued that a pro-growth coalition between district government and foreign capital emerged during this process of urban restructuring; the paper analyses the features of how this coalition exercises power. Finally, based on empirical research, the paper engages Western regime analysis in a theoretical dialogue.