Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Hubbub over residential wall decree shows need for clear communication with public
Print Edition
IT may be hard to imagine an end to gated communities in China, but many now see the country headed in that direction.
A recent directive issued by the country’s State Council, or cabinet, stunned Chinese citizens for its apparent prohibition on encircling new residential compounds with walls and fences.
What’s more, the decree goes on to add, certain types of existing housing estates and compounds are to gradually dismantle their walls to allow entry and free passage for all.
The purpose of this new measure is ostensibly to reconnect urban traffic arteries that are diverted by large residential complexes or compounds.
These de-facto road blocks have been blamed for exacerbating already snarled traffic in mega-cities like Shanghai and Beijing, as they compel pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists to make detours that lead to long commutes and severe congestion.
Perhaps realizing that road expansion is no longer an effective remedy for oft-congested roads, the government this time has come up with something more radical and imaginative.
Experts asked to explain the benefits of this scheme tend to say that by opening up private walled communities to the public, urban planners get to weave a “connected and intricate road network” and “put idle resources to better use.”
Besides, the measure accords with the current urban planning credo of “going compact,” they say.
Greater safty risks
Surprisingly, this seemingly well-intentioned policy was largely panned by the public.
Many worry that it might result in more noise pollution, greater safety risks and decreased property prices, among other undesirable outcomes.
For example, some argue that un-gated neighborhoods where anyone can go unhindered will just invite burglars.
They also risk creating a free-for-all for reckless cars to threaten the lives of children and old people.
This policy will probably also ruffle the feathers of real estate developers who tout their luxury condos by promising “diversion of motorized and non-motorized traffic.”
This design enables cars to enter and leave a community through underground entrances and exits, guaranteeing a largely car-free environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
All these criticisms boil down to a fundamental question: Is the policy consistent with China’s property law, which appears to confer private-property status on spaces within gated communities and thus makes them off-limits to outsiders?
While legal experts continue to wrangle over this issue, what is more certain is the degree to which the new policy has been taken out of context and misunderstood by many ordinary homeowners.
According to Wu Zhiqiang, vice president of Tongji University, what the policy really targets are mammoth communities and compounds that cover several square kilometers and constitute serious impediments to traffic and mobility.
In Shanghai, urban planners have been careful to avoid constructing the sort of gargantuan walled communities and compounds that are scattered across China.
These are largely the products of old-school planning crossed with the present-day housing boom.
For the most part, Shanghai would likely be exempt from any campaign to dismantle its walls, cautions Wu.
Critics of the new decree can seek consolation in the reassuring words of Shen Chi, a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top planning body.
In an interview with Southern Metropolis News, Shen explained that not all gated communities have to get rid of their walls.
For example, for suburban neighborhoods where traffic is light, there is obviously no point in pulling down walls, Shen said.
Shen’s comments suggest that the decree has to be applied and examined on a case-by-case basis — and not just by those in charge of its implementation, but by the general populace as well.
More than just walls
In fact, the decree covers more than just compound walls. It suggests setting up bus stops within 500 meters of each other; advocates for free admission at parks nationwide; and encourages the completion of shantytown renovation efforts across urban China by 2020.
All of these projects will benefit urbanites and should be embraced.
What the latest uproar has taught us, however, is that clear, effective communication is vital to explain policies that affect public interest — especially those concerning property rights, which many hold dear.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
