Local Development Models of Urban Villages in Xihu District, Hangzhou, from the Perspective of Planetary Urbanization: An Empirical Interpretation Based on the Three-Dimensional Framework of Spatial Configuration, Everyday Life, and Territorial Regulation

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the theory of planetary urbanization that Neil Brenner of Harvard University and Andy Merrifield have developed has provided a way to study global urbanization with different epistemologies. No longer does it need to be restricted by the old urban-rural divide, so now this theory believes that cities and villages are all connected areas experiencing social and spatial changes without any fixed borders. This idea is very applicable to our country now; there are fewer barriers between cities and the countryside, and capital is spreading outwards. Urban villages have been called the ‘cancer’ of urbanization for a long time. In terms of planetary urbanization, they may be regarded as a local path of urbanization initiated by the rural population. They have served to support the country’s rapid urbanization, maintain social order, promote opening-up and reform, and deepen China’s integration with the world. Based on the redevelopment of urban villages in Xihu District, Hangzhou, this paper will present Brenner’s system of three-dimensional analysis of space, daily life and territorial regulation. Organize the Spatial Differences of the three types of urban villages in Xihu District and study the internal logic of the three differentiated redevelopment paths: demolition and reconstruction in Fangjiafan and Hengqiao; comprehensive improvement combined with the introduction of a financial-services cluster in Baishaquan; and the ongoing 2025 redevelopment of Shuangpu. Based on the above results, although Western planetary urbanization aims to build a “city without an outside” by eliminating the division between cities and the countryside, the local restructuring of Chinese urban villages should be considered in light of Brenner’s system, and the three basic institutional factors in China—collective ownership of land, central-local decentralization, and the agency of rural residents—must be taken into account. Therefore, there will be a change from exclusionary redevelopment to the ‘Inclusive Urban Village Redevelopment 4.0’ proposed by Professor Ye Yumin. A people-oriented way of arranging physical Space should be taken to integrate the daily life of the people and carry out multi-scale innovations in territorial regulation based on relational and network thinking. Only then will the urban-village areas be transformed and regenerated into high-quality ones. Research has promoted the application of planetary urbanization theory in China and provided practical support for the planning of cities and towns and other links.