2024 Dialogue with the District Party Secretary | How Can a Large Population Region Ensure People Live Comfortably? This is How Minhang District in Shanghai Builds a “New Home”
In the transformation of urban villages in low-lying areas, how can the issue of insufficient land transfer revenue to cover relocation costs be addressed? Additionally, how can scientific site selection and attraction of more young people be achieved in the construction of the “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers”?
Recently, a series of multimedia interviews titled “2024 Dialogue with District Party Secretaries” was jointly launched by several organizations, including Shanghai Research, The Paper, and Shanghai People’s Broadcasting Station.
On December 12, Chen Huawen, Deputy Secretary of the Minhang District Committee and District Mayor, participated in the program, visiting the Laigang Xingyuan Community Comprehensive Elderly Service Center, the Party-Mass Service Center, and the Xinhonghui Complex. He discussed the innovative measures and future plans of Minhang District regarding urban village transformation, addressing housing issues in populous areas, and promoting the construction of the “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers.”
In response to a question from Shanghai Research and The Paper about how to achieve financial balance in urban village transformation, Chen Huawen cited the example of the Hongxing Village site, where the land transfer revenue was insufficient to cover relocation costs. The project combined city policies, district land transfer policies, and other policies to balance funding, resulting in the current Laigang Xingyuan and Xinhonghui.
Laigang Xingyuan has established a circular bus service for residents to the Hongqiao Business District, airport, and high-speed rail station. The image shows Chen Huawen (right) on-site to understand the situation.
Chen Huawen emphasized that the cost of relocation should not hinder the transformation of low-lying areas. This year, the total volume and scale of urban village transformation in Minhang have doubled compared to last year. In the long run, eliminating safety hazards and improving living conditions for residents will enhance urban quality and functionality, creating the best business environment.
Regarding the progress of the “One Bed, One Room, One House” initiative in Minhang District, Chen revealed that the district strictly adheres to a pricing principle of maintaining a minimal profit margin, keeping the rent for “one bed” under 1,000 yuan. Starting from October 1 this year, all operational “New Home” projects in Minhang have been charged according to civilian water and electricity standards, alleviating the economic pressure on new citizens and young workers in Shanghai. In the future, Minhang will gradually open supply to newly graduated and entrepreneurial young talents.
How to balance costs in the transformation of urban villages? Are the original residents comfortable returning to their homes?
The large residential areas of Laigang Xingyuan and Xinhonghui are located in Hongxing Village, Xinhong Street, Minhang District, which was previously a dilapidated urban village.
The entrance to Laigang Xingyuan Community
Next to the Xinhonghui complex are the Jiamin Elevated Road, Songze Elevated Road, Hongqiao Hub, and the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
In 2014, Shanghai launched the first round of city-level urban village transformations, identifying six sites in Minhang District, including Hongxing Village in Xinhong Street, Jiu Xing Village in Qibao Town, and others as city-level urban village transformation projects. Currently, Hongxing Village, Qingchun Village, Xindong Village, and Xingnan Team 2 have been basically completed; the two sites in Jiu Xing Village are in the construction and supporting improvement phase, with the Jiu Xing City project having completed structural topping and expected to start trial operations in June next year.
The “Nine Palace Grid” rendering of Jiu Xing City in Jiu Xing Village, Qibao Town
Since the second round of city-level urban village transformation began in Shanghai in 2020, Minhang District has newly identified six city-level urban village projects. Among them, the most notable is the Zhaojialou project in Pujiang Town, which received city-level approval in June 2022 and is being developed in cooperation with Ruian Group.
Currently, the preliminary development work for the project has fully commenced, with a total of 89% of relocations completed. The housing acquisition work is set to start in January 2024, with an expected completion of relocations by June 2025. The identified external resettlement housing site has begun construction, and major municipal supporting projects are entering the feasibility study review stage. Four commercial housing sites have completed relocation agreements and are ready for transfer.
When faced with low-lying areas in urban village transformation, what should government departments do if land transfer revenue cannot cover relocation costs?
In response to the question posed by Shanghai Research and The Paper, Chen Huawen stated that Minhang District’s unique approach to promoting urban village transformation is to establish a “1+2+X” promotion mechanism, led by the district mayor, forming a Minhang District Urban Renewal Leadership Group, with a dedicated task force for “two old and one village” to coordinate the promotion of urban village transformation across the district, advancing projects as they mature. The government takes the lead in coordinating funding, resources, and asset balance, continuously developing a three-year action plan for urban village transformation in Minhang, establishing a project list, and clarifying transformation goals.
“The Hongxing Village site is adjacent to the Jiamin Elevated Road, Songze Elevated Road, Hongqiao Hub, and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), making its location very important. However, previous relocation policies could not cover this area because the land area itself could not balance the funding according to relocation policies. In other words, the land transfer revenue was insufficient to cover relocation costs. Later, to remove this dilapidated urban village next to the Hongqiao Business District and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) and improve the living conditions of residents, Minhang combined some city policies, district land transfer policies, and other policies for this urban village project, achieving a balance of land transfer fees and government support, resulting in the newly transformed Laigang Xingyuan and Xinhonghui,” Chen Huawen explained.
Hongxing Village in Xinhong Street was originally a dilapidated urban village. After transformation, it has evolved into a modern large residential area with complete facilities and a beautiful environment.
Chen Huawen emphasized that the cost of relocation should not prevent the transformation of low-lying areas. In urban village transformation, Minhang has also strengthened the advance of supporting facilities, fully leveraging the primary role of villagers. For example, Laigang Xingyuan has established a circular bus service for residents to the Hongqiao Business District, airport, and high-speed rail station, designed corridors and walkways for villagers to cool off in summer and sunbathe in winter, and retained a community dining hall for villagers to hold banquets during important events, fully respecting the living habits and needs of returning residents.
As of now, 37 out of 57 urban village sites in Minhang District have completed their exit. Among the remaining 20 sites, four are planned for overall transformation (Caozhong Village in Yonglian Village, Meilong Town, and Yangjiaxiang Village in Huacao Town), three are planned for removal (three in Pujiang Town), and 13 are planned for comprehensive remediation (two in Huacao Town, eight in Pujiang Town, and three in Wujing Town).
The Minhang District Housing Management Bureau has collaborated with relevant streets and towns to outline a work plan for the remaining urban village sites, with plans to fully launch the four overall transformation sites by the end of 2025; all 13 comprehensive remediation sites are expected to be completed by the end of 2026; and the three planned removal sites are set to be completed by the end of 2027.
Pricing is set to maintain a minimal profit margin, and “one bed” will be opened to newly graduated and entrepreneurial young talents.
It has been a year since the General Secretary’s visit to Minhang District’s “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers.” Over the past year, what measures has Minhang District taken in scientific site selection, increasing funding efforts, expanding coverage, and ensuring support for the “One Bed, One Room, One House” initiative?
Chen Huawen stated that over the past year, the Minhang District Committee and District Government have placed great importance on and efficiently promoted the construction of rental housing and the “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers.” By the end of 2023, the Minhang District Housing Management Bureau led the formulation of a work plan to strengthen the construction of the “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers,” which was officially issued on February 8, 2024, after soliciting opinions from various functional departments, local streets and towns, and project construction and operation parties.
Chen Huawen (right) visits the Rainbow Path of Xinhonghui.
Minhang District covers an area of 373 square kilometers and has a permanent population of approximately 2.7 million, making it a densely populated area. In selecting sites for the “Home for New Era Urban Builders and Managers,” Minhang has put in significant effort, focusing on commercial and business clusters, industrial parks, and areas near rail transit stations to strengthen supply-demand matching and promote the integration of industry and city, as well as the balance of work and residence.
For instance, the Xinyue Sunshine Apartment in the Xinzhuang Industrial Zone serves surrounding industrial parks, meeting the rental needs of frontline industrial workers; the Xingkong Natural Apartment in Pujin Street provides “one bed” for construction workers involved in the exterior insulation project of the World Expo Garden.
To increase funding efforts, Minhang has expanded land transfers and the construction of commercial housing; integrated supporting living service facilities in industrial parks; revitalized idle land owned by enterprises and institutions; and explored the use of collective land for rental housing in conjunction with rural revitalization.
For example, in Jiangchuan Road Street, innovative urban renewal has been implemented by embedding old housing
