Invisible village: A potential alternative for urban village redevelopment in China
RESEARCH QUESTION How can an architectural intervention contribute to a more functional and culturally identifiable community in an urban village redevelopment project in Langfang, China? ABSTRACT This research explores an alternative architectural strategy for urban village regeneration, focusing on Dong Village in Langfang, China. The project investigates how architectural interventions can contribute to creating a more functional and culturally identifiable community in the context of rapid urbanisation and government-led redevelopment. It questions the dominant policy of demolition and reconstruction, which, although improving physical infrastructure, often eradicates social memory and local identity. It seeks to demonstrate that spatial transformation does not have to destroy the community roots but can instead support cultural continuity and a renewed sense of belonging. The research focuses on the evolution of urban villages, examining how these communities emerged through land ownership shifts and informal development under China’s unique urban-rural structure. While previous studies have largely prioritised administrative and technical upgrading, this project identifies a critical gap in addressing the preservation of cultural identity and social networks. In response, the study positions architectural design as a tool to bridge past and present, exploring how productive landscapes, particularly greenhouse structures, can reconnect residents with their agricultural memory and enhance communal life. The research combines site study, theoretical investigation, precedent analysis, and design experimentation. Drawing on urban planning theories, such as Ebenezer Howard’s garden city vision, Kevin Lynch’s concepts of spatial legibility, and Jane Jacobs’s advocacy for social diversity, the project proposes a vibrant neighbourhood that integrates residential units, public spaces, and productive landscapes. Greenhouses are introduced as symbolic and functional nodes that promote social interaction and ecological awareness. The design engages with local spatial patterns and community narratives, offering a framework for regeneration that emphasises cultural continuity. This project contributes a design-led perspective to the field of urban renewal, proposing adaptable strategies that challenge conventional redevelopment approaches and highlight the importance of place, memory, and indigenous community.
Langfang (China), China, urban villages, urban regeneration, city planning, architecture and culture, Chinese architecture
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Unitec, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology