Villagers’ participation in mega-urban upgrading. Liede village: Guangzhou’s pioneer

Abstract

This chapter explores the ways of participation of local villagers in the redevelopment process of Liede Village in Guangzhou. Liede Village as the first to undergo complete demolishment and reconstruction is a so-called experimental pioneer in the process of redeveloping Guangzhou’s urbanized villages. Whereas usually most attention is paid to the key stakeholders like the government, developers, and the respective urbanized village joint-stock company, here the emphasis lies on the local villagers’ attempts to take part in the decision-making processes and on their informal coping strategies in a politically insecure and experimental environment. Even though they possess a rather passive role in the official proceeding, mainly being informed by the village’s joint-stock company, they nevertheless found informal ways to organize themselves and to articulate concerns in order to safeguard their interests. Clan ties, family structures, and intra-collective guanxi are demonstrated to be important factors that can be seen as crucial decision-making elements on the very grassroots level.