Abstract:

The project introduces a “relocation-return” model for urban community coexistence, attempting to directly counter town gentrification and cultural driven by demolition. It’s rooted in the traditional neighborhoods of Shanghai’s Town (Lao Cheng Xiang) that have undergone relocation, whose immaterial activities have gradually faded away. The project seeks to demonstrate the coexistence of preservation and development, achieved through the expansion of community and original architectural frameworks. By integrating “family” culture into the new district, it sustains the collective living values inherent to Lilong communities. It preserves and enlarges space by utilizing the original structures of “Shikumen”, transforming storefronts into community hubs. It establishes a land trust based on the original street-and-lane network to curb speculation, leverages community-owned funds to provide an economic foundation for public spaces and expands transportation networks to integrate the historical area with the wider city. The project was piloted in a declining neighborhood, where restored building facades maintain continuity with the original structures and retail shops flourish alongside traditional trades. By facilitating the return of the original community and welcome new, the social fabric is repaired and regains its functional value. This project challenges top-down master planning, offering a replicable framework for the coexistence of urban mixed-use communities.