Yunyun Guo
Renewal of Urban Village
Summary
Yunyun Guo is a researcher, architect and designer. Her main field of research in 2019-2020 MRes Architecture Program in Royal College of Art focuses on the specific socio-spatial model which is Urban Village in China. Her research explores the possibility of urban renewal strategies in four aspects (space, society, culture and economic).
Additional info
With the economic globalization and rapid urbanization, a large number of immigrant settlements have appeared in many cities around the world. This social settlement in China is called ‘urban village’. In the last 40 years, the rapid urban expansion has led to the emergence of the unique phenomenon of ‘urban village’, which means the original border areas between urban and rural were gradually surrounded by urban sprawl, literally which also called ‘village-in-the-city’.
Due to the conflicts in many other factors like environment, economy, society, and politic, the problems of the urban village also cause the inequality of social development in the city. This situation is particularly evident in developed cities. Guangzhou as one of the mega-cities in China, the city government is committed to solving various problems caused by underdeveloped areas such as urban villages.
The research started with the physical environmental issue to propose the renewal strategy of the urban village in Guangzhou, based on the negative impact of the total demolition and reconstruction method. In addition, in view of the social, cultural and economic contradictions in urban villages and the inequality between demands and interests, the research also puts forward corresponding strategies in terms of social negotiation for the renewal of urban villages.
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