Participatory micro-regeneration: governing urban redevelopment in Qinghe, Beijing

• Published in: Urban geography Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 21 - 42
• Main Authors: Wang, Ying, Wu, Fulong, Zhang, Fangzhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 2025; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: China; Community involvement; Decision making; Economic development; Governance; Governmentality; Participation; regeneration; self-governance; Social development; Participation; self-governance; governmentality; regeneration; China
• ISSN: 0272-3638; 1938-2847
• DOI: 10.1080/02723638.2024.2349449

This article explores how far the Foucauldian concept of "governmentality" may offer valuable insights into new trends of participatory regeneration in urban China. Drawing on participatory micro-regeneration projects in Qinghe, Beijing, this research follows a governmentality approach. It explores how the Chinese state exercises new governmental technologies of community participation and self-governance to construct governable spaces and governable subjects. During the regeneration process, we identify multiple participatory practices where citizen power is exercised in decision-making and project implementation but guided by experts within the fields structured by the state. We argue that participation has been instrumentalized by the state to achieve extra-economic objectives of social governance and people-centred development. We also observe tensions and resistance during participatory micro-regeneration, leading to the failure to develop a self-governed community.