Residents organize to fix community on the skids
Print Edition
ON December 25, residents of the newly-renovated Xiangquan community in Putuo District gathered to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Minxin pavilion. As little as a year ago, the community was said to be in decline thanks in large part to a lack of effective management. Nowadays though, things are looking much brighter in the lively and well-organized residential community.
Minxin, which means “public opinion” in Chinese, also suggests that the renovation of the community was carried out according to public demands and input. Thanks to recent improvements to the community’s facilities, infrastructure and green spaces, many long-time residents can hardly remember how decrepit and disorderly things used to be.
The Xiangquan community was founded in Putuo back in 1996. It is home to 1,820 households and 5,240 residents, about 60 percent of whom are elderly.
Two years ago, the community lost its status as a “civilized area” due to its crumbling facilities, damaged roads and haphazard management. What’s more, a large portion of the community’s green space was used for parking, while illegal construction in the garage created security risks.
In the beginning of 2015, the Putuo district government took measures to encourage local residents to get involved in the public affairs. This move was also an opportunity for residents to enhance their awareness of autonomy, the foundation of which is standardized and organized management.
Amid improvement efforts, volunteers became more closely united and empowered to make decisions. Seven groups were set up to take charge of different aspects of renovating the Xiangquan community. Residents were encouraged to take part in negotiations, decision making, implementation, supervision and evaluation processes.
The Xiangquan community committee constructed a “teahouse,” where residents could exchange opinions and offer suggestions on community management. The teahouse consists of an exhibition hall, a boardroom and a reading room.
Wu Tiebiao, a member of the committee, says that although Xiangquan is poorly built compared with residential compounds in commercial areas, they are confident that the community will be a warm and cozy place.
Hu Yufeng, another committee member, agrees with this.
“The enthusiasm of our residents is high and they are willing to take part in the program — unlike people living in modern buildings who don’t even know their neighbor’s name,” Hu says.
The group has launched several projects, including those to repair shared spaces within the community. Since intensive participation is key to autonomy, every aspect of the process — including planning, decision-making, program consideration and simulation — are carried out with residents and volunteers.
Meanwhile, WeChat is also used as a tool of collecting public opinions, so that residents’ needs can be fulfilled in a more practical way. For example, the pavilion mentioned above is designed to collect rainwater and water drops from air conditioners to replenish a fishpond and water flowers. This eco-friendly idea came from residents.
To ease parking and traffic congestion issues, the self-managed group came up with the idea of a one-way street. Cars can now only enter the community through a gate on Fuping Road, and exit through a gate on Xiangquan Rd. This plan was implemented following feedback from questionnaires distributed to each household as well as a test run with the community committee and volunteers.
Throughout this procedure, not only was the community environment and order improved, but residents’ public awareness and the autonomy team’s influence and appeal were also enhanced.
The garage was another disaster area in the community — but not any more. Some parts of the underground garage were in the past being used as a warehouse and a chess room. This created the potential for serious safety problems and was a source of annoyance for residents. In less than a year though, the garage was renovated.
At the same time, a scoring system was introduced with criteria for safety, tidiness and harmony. The results would be displayed in the form of a smiling, flat or crying face.
Renovation work at the Xiangquan community has successfully completed and great changes for the better have taken place. The community has become a more livable place, while neighborhood relations have improved.
There are still improvements to be made through activities, community debates and residents’ increased interest in public affairs.
Community committee member Hu regards the residential community as a microcosm of society. As community affairs become more complicated, strategies to overcome problems must also adjust.
“People’s wisdom and strength is the key to success,” he adds. “More patience, more smiles, more communication and more care — this is my working principle.”
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