Overcoming Difficulties and Obstacles, Consistently Achieving "100%" and Pioneering New Directions —“Two-renovation Project” in Jing’an District Fulfills Residents’ Dreams of Secure Housing
Released on:2024-01-23 Views:


On May 15, the contract for the renovation project of old houses in Fanguanong was signed and came into effect. On August 20, the sporadic renovation projects of Yuyuan Road and Lane 284 of Wanhangdu Road on West Nanjing Road achieved a 100% signing rate and came into effect. On the same day, the renovation project in the old urban areas of Qingyun Road, Baochang Road, Neighborhood 264, and Lane 34 of Wangjiazhai Road had a high success rate and went into effect... 2023 just ended and Jing’an District witnessed remarkable success in the renovation of old areas and old residential buildings (hereinafter referred to as “two-renovation project”).

Relocation at Fanguanong

With a close bond to people’s livelihoods, the two-renovation project holds significant importance in fulfilling people’s needs for a better life, advancing urban renewal, and enhancing the urban environment. Nonetheless, it also presents formidable challenges. In 2023, Jing’an District took on its most demanding workload in recent years with 10 scattered renovation sites and two renovation projects for complete old residential buildings. Fearless and determined, Jing’an District ultimately achieved the desired result. Both renovation projects for complete old residential buildings achieved a 100% completion of signing, relocation, and demolition. Contracts of all 10 scattered renovation sites came into effect with a high success rate, among which, eight sites achieved a 100% signing rate.

More importantly, as the thematic education deepens, Jing’an District has continually explored and innovated in the “two-renovation project”. The district could address a specific type of problem when accomplishing each project and has accumulated invaluable experience for the city’s overall renovation work.

Relocation ceremony for sporadic renovation projects in and around Lane 1177 of West Beijing Road and on Shimen No.1 Road

Setting new speed records,

the Fanguanong project can come forward with one viable solution

For the Fanguanong project, Jing’an District achieved a 100% signing rate within 49 days and completed the relocation within 30 days, followed by gaining construction permits within 90 days and the smooth commencement of the project. The project has set new records for the shortest “time from contract signing to 100% relocation” and the shortest “time from resident relocation to project commencement” in the city.

Commencement of Fanguanong renovation project

Construction site of Fanguanong

Such achievements

can’t be made without the Fanguanong Model,

which represents the coordination and cooperation among relevant departments in Jing’an District

to solve common challenges.

To address the problems of insufficient supporting facilities, limited parking spaces, and inadequate green spaces in the community, the planning department has taken into consideration both the Fanguanong area and scattered plots in the surrounding area. Through a “composite renovation”, the department aims to create a high-quality “complete community” with a sufficient increment of buildings, full public services, and complete supporting facilities.

Sketch of the central garden of the new Fanguanong community

To expedite the project, the city’s first information system for comprehensive renovation projects involving demolishing and rebuilding old houses has been established. The system achieves comprehensive digital management of demolition, design, construction, and subsequent operations. To address potential tax issues related to the demolition and reconstruction at the original site, the housing management and tax departments have conducted targeted assessments and formulated provisions for “Tax-free Exchanges of Properties”. Such innovative solutions make valuable explorations for the city’s comprehensive renovation of old housing.

The digital empowerment management platform for the Fanguanong renovation project

Such achievements

can’t be made without the Fanguanong spirit,

characterized by embracing challenges with fearless innovation.

The Fanguanong renovation project, in conjunction with theme education and extensive research, leverages a collaborative and problem-solving mechanism and emphasizes communication and cooperation with relevant city-level departments to address key challenges in demolition and reconstruction. In the end, one viable solution can be found and then solidified to handle a specific type of problem when accomplishing each project. Furthermore, the overall model for urban renewal can be optimized and streamlined.

Not long ago, the case titled “Fanguanong Residential Community Accelerates the Comprehensive Renovation in Jing’an District” was included in the “Urban Construction and Development Case Exhibition of 2023 World Cities Day”. Taking that opportunity, Shanghai is providing a replicable experience for the sustainable development of global cities.

Such achievements

can’t be made without the Fanguanong warmth,

a manifestation of the leadership of Party building,

which ensures that the work resonates with the people and touches their hearts.

As the West Tianmu Road Sub-district explained, it has formed a temporary Party branch for the Fanguanong renovation project. In addition, a team of skilled personnel has been allocated, and 10 section-level officials with excellent expertise and rich experience have been selected to provide on-site support for the renovation efforts. Guided by the “Four Special” spirit, the Sub-district formulated “eight guidelines for the renovation project of old houses in Fanguanong”, providing pragmatic and careful services for the people, keeping people’s demands in mind, and laying a solid foundation for the smooth progress of the project.

Recently, the “Implementing the People’s City Concept and Realizing In-situ Upgrade of Happiness — Party Building of West Tianmu Road Sub-district Leads the Renovation and Upgrading of Fanguanong Residential Community” was awarded the best case in the “National Innovative Cases of Party Building in Communities”.

A pioneering Party member volunteer team was established for the Fanguanong project.

Revitalizing the “scattered renovation plots”,

Sporadic renovation explores a new model of sustainable development

On August 20, 2022, the sporadic renovation project in the old urban areas of Qingyun Road, Baochang Road, Neighborhood 264, and Lane 34 of Wangjiazhai Road (hereinafter referred to as Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project) was launched with a high signing rate of 99.04%. On September 2 of the same year, the project held a relocation ceremony for the first batch of residents. More than 500 households relocated to new houses to start a new chapter of their life.

The project was no easy feat. Five small residential quarters featuring old houses and residents of all kinds were involved. It posed formidable challenges and various problems to be addressed.

Relocation site of Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project

The first knotty problem was

how to revitalize the “scattered plots”

and maximize their overall efficiency?

Tremendous efforts have been made to tackle this problem for the Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project. According to the Baoshan Road Sub-district, the project expanded the scope of renovation to a certain extent through cluster development and overall design and added three enterprises including the glasses factory and the ceramics factory, to enhance the overall commercial value of the plot through integration. The project carried out comprehensive research on the sporadic old areas and surrounding land plots, including Shanghai No. 60 High School and Junius Hotel, and divided the plots reasonably to give full play to the scale effect and promote overall development. By doing so, the comprehensive goal of urban renewal can be achieved by combining tasks of improving residents’ living conditions, the weak links of public services, and the overall regional environment.

Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project

Where to find the funding?

An unavoidable question

facing the renovation project

In addition to district-level investment, Jing’an channeled multiple financing sources and implemented a fund guarantee mechanism for the project. Jing’an took the lead in encouraging the participation of state-owned enterprises under the administration of the district in the project. After careful analysis of the city and district governments, four state-owned enterprises, Shanghai Jing’an Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai New Jing’an (Group) Co., Ltd., Suzhou Creek Group, and Shanghai Daning Asset Management (Group) Co. Ltd., were selected to take part in the sporadic renovation projects. Among them, Suzhou Creek Group participated in the fundraising and project development of Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project. The participation and support of diversified parties greatly alleviated the financial stress on the project.

Qingyun Road & Baochang Road Renovation Project

Achieving a 100% signing rate within two days by

Resolving residents’ concerns by putting equal importance on emotion, reason, and law

On August 19, 2022, the sporadic renovation project of West Nanjing Road & Yuyuan Road and Lane 284 of Wanhangdu Road (hereinafter referred to as the “West Nanjing Road & Yuyuan Road Renovation Project”) began the second round of opinion-seeking. Late at night on August 20, as the last resident signed the agreement, the project was officially launched after achieving a 100% signing rate within only two days. It’s an amazing speed.

The renovation site, located in the historical preservation area, involves 181 households with 157 certificates distributed in four residential quarters of Jing’an Temple Sub-district. With a seemingly small coverage and household number, these plots were full of self-built houses with multiple household registrations and complicated family conflicts in one house. How to sort out this “mess”?

Renovation Project of West Nanjing Road & Yuyuan Road and Lane 284 of Wanhangdu Road

In the early stage,

careful work laid a solid foundation.

Under the guidance of the Construction Administration Committee, the Housing Management Bureau, the Renovation Office, and the “Two-old” Working Group of the district, Jing’an Temple Sub-district set up a working group for renovation projects to patiently and meticulously explain the renovation policies to residents and help resolve family conflicts. The staff made a lot of efforts in the early stage to implement one file for each person and one file for each household so that every household could receive all the rewards and compensation of the expropriation policy.

According to Jing’an Temple Sub-district, to handle this issue concerning people’s livelihood, the renovation staff and community workers in residential quarters involved in the project insisted on taking actions proactively, paying equal attention to emotion, reason, and law, and resolving concerns of the residents, to help them reverse their misunderstandings about the renovation policy to recognition and finally take the initiative to sign the contract.

Contract signing of the Renovation Project of West Nanjing Road & Yuyuan Road and Lane 284 of Wanhangdu Road

Renovation

pursued not only the speed

but also heartwarming results.

In the small garden of an old gentleman’s house in Lane 284, Wanhangdu Road, there is a magnolia grandiflora planted by his elder generation. He used to cool off and play under the tree with his sister since their childhood. For him, the tree is more valuable than the compensation. Hearing this, the staff helped trim the branches and put a sign on the tree, promising that it would be taken great care of by the sub-district after he relocated. The heartwarming behavior puts the old man’s heart at ease.

Solve tricky problems to

Establish Jing’an Model for “Two-old” Renovation

According to Jing’an’s “Two-old” Working Group, the district has two renovation projects for complete old residential buildings in 2023, namely the Demolition, Reconstruction, and Renovation Project of Fangualong Residential Community and the Renovation Project of Lane 802, Gonghexin Road. The two projects involve a construction area of 43,000 square meters and 1,160 certificates. Currently, the signing, relocation, and demolition of the two projects have been fully completed, and the anticipated commencement of the renovation before the end of this year has been achieved.

In 2023, 10 renovation plots of the district started the second round of opinion-seeking and signing, which achieved a high contract signing rate and became effective on the same day. Among them, the signing rate of eight scattered plots reached 100%, benefiting 3,181 residents and marking the highest level of renovation over the years. Apart from Qingyun Road & Baochang Road, and West Nanjing Road & Yuyuan Road, the first two renovation plots launched last year, the renovation sites also included Neighborhood 238, the largest renovation plot in Jing’an last year, and Neighborhood 76, the largest renovation project along the Suzhou Creek, scattered plots in Lane 1177, West Beijing Road and surrounding areas, and scattered plots along Shimen No.1 Road.

Relocation ceremony for sporadic renovation projects in and around Lane 1177 of West Beijing Road and Shimen No.1 Road

It’s widely acknowledged that the renovation of old residential quarters is “the most daunting task in the world”, but it must be addressed no matter the difficulties.

Jing’an established a leading group for the renovation of old areas and renovation of complete old residential buildings, with the Secretary of the CPC Jing’an District Committee and District Mayor as “dual group leaders” and the Deputy District Mayor as deputy leader. The leading group set up a General Office for practical operation and selected a group of outstanding young officials from the Construction Administration Committee, Housing Administration Bureau, Planning and Land Administration, Finance Bureau, and other departments of the district and state-owned enterprises under the administration of the district to work and brainstorm together. Departments concerned and sub-districts of Jing’an immediately set up a special working group respectively to further consolidate the foundation for the “Two-old” renovation work.

Sporadic renovation projects in and around Lane 1177 of West Beijing Road and on Shimen No.1 Road

Meanwhile, the exploration and innovation of Jing’an’s renovation projects has been underway. The Fanguanong project has set a sample for the city’s renovation of old residential buildings. In terms of the sporadic renovation projects, an innovative model with unique Jing’an characteristics has been formed through cluster development, “one site, one policy, one plan”, multi-party participation, and other measures.

Relocation site of sporadic renovation projects around Neighborhood 76

Relocation project of Neighborhood 238

As renovations are launched and relocations are underway, the beaming smiles on the faces of the residents became the warmest and most precious moment of Jing’an in 2023. While urban renewal is in full swing, Jing’an’s “two-old renovation” will be advanced with consistency, and the achievements of thematic education will continuously be transformed into a real sense of gain for residents. We hold a firm belief that no matter how small the place we live in, there will be a day when the sun casts light on it; that happiness can quietly descend and multiply in a blink of an eye.