IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

The conservation of historic areas in old cities has been a widely discussed topic across countries and regions, with many encountering similar challenges. Apart from being the capital of China, Beijing is also one of the first designated historic and cultural cities. Therefore, in addition to common challenges like population aging, the decline of the physical environment, the destruction of the traditional city fabric, and the fragmentation of social-spatial structure, the historic areas in Beijing’s old city also face unique difficulties in balancing government and market forces. Since 2011, Beijing has embarked on a government-led initiative to decrease population density and improve the spatial environment in historic areas in the old city, prioritizing the core functions that align with its national capital obligations. This research adopts methods including literature review, field investigations, and informal discussions aiming to outline the regeneration process. The focus is mainly on the conflicts and challenges of the impacts of this government-led approach during its implementation, especially the coordination between government and market forces, such as the balance between public and economic interests. By analyzing the dynamics, it seeks to clarify the positive and negative impacts of the government-led approach, concentrating on social, economic, and spatial aspects, and therefore, determine which aspect has improved or needs further enhancement.