Innovations in Semi-Formal Tools and Multi-actor Cooperation for Urban Design Governance: The Practice of City Chief Designer System in China
Loading...
Date
2024
Authors
Editors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AESOP
Abstract
Urban design governance is the process of state-sanctioned intervention in the means and processes of designing the built environment in order to shape both processes and outcomes in a defined public interest, advocating for the establishment of a system of actions and decisions composed of diverse entities. The current development trajectory of Chinese cities has shifted from a period of rapid growth to a phase of high-quality development focusing on stock space, and urban design as a mode of planning and control has received more and more attention. A new form of urban design governance has emerged in key areas of development in some mega-cities—the City Chief Designer system. The City Chief Designer system serves as a semi-formal governance tool, bridging the gap between the hard-power governance of government authority and the soft-power governance of nongovernmental organizations. This study divides the development of City Chief Designer system into three stages: the implicit development period, the establishment of the mechanism period, and the optimization and adjustment period. It summarizes the practical role of the system in driving the effectiveness of urban design operations, and investigates the interactive relationships among diverse participants. The study dissects the role of the system as a semi-formal design governance tool, analyzes power shifts and institutional reforms, and discusses the problems of the system, aiming to provide insights for optimizing the governance system of future urban design.
Key Words: Historical institutionalism; Urban design governance; Semi-Formal Tools; Multi-actor cooperation; City Chief Designer system
Description
Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024
Keywords
License
CC-BY