Exploring Livable Communities in Urban Renewal: Case Study of China’s Metropolises

Abstract

As urban boundaries continue to expand and core city areas undergo optimization, megacities such as New York, London, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou exert a siphon effect on surrounding regions, intensifying population concentration and land demand. However, the imperative for coordinated production-living-ecological space development has placed limits on uncontrolled urban sprawl, highlighting the need for connotative, high-quality urban growth. Recent initiatives in urban village renewal and regeneration aim to enhance land-use efficiency but face persistent challenges—including preserving indigenous settlements and cultural heritage, while creating livable and friendly communities within high-density contexts. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach—combining bibliometrics analysis, questionnaire surveys, and enterprise interviews—this research investigates core challenges to urban renewal. Results indicate that multi-party collaborative governance integrating policy innovation, cultural preservation, human-centered planning, smart technologies, and sustainable development is essential for advancing “people-industry-city integration” in renewal models.