More communities to be brought up to date
A new gate has been built at the Caihe Community to improve the environment. The project is among Hangzhou’s refurbishment project to revamp old residential communities.
Hangzhou government revamped around 300 old residential communities last year and, according to its 2021 work report, will do the same to 200 more by the end of this year.
Some of its residential communities built in the 1980s and 1990s have problems including poor facilities, limited parking lots and a lack of green space.
Last week, local authorities selected a dozen communities that epitomize the successful renovation of old residences to set a model for the upcoming renovation projects.
After a facelift and more emphasis on green space, the Duanhetou residential community in Xiaoying Lane Subdistrict evokes feelings of nostalgia with white walls and black-tiled roofs.
It is near Deshou Palace, the royal court of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) when Hangzhou was the capital. The local government redesigned the community in the style of the ancient Southern Song as part of the restoration project of the palace.
In Binjiang and Jianggan districts, elevators have been installed in a number of old buildings. The elevators are especially helpful for elderly residents.
Hangzhou government offers subsidies to residents and cooperates with elevator companies to set up lifts in these buildings. Every household on the third floor and above pays a proportionate installation fee and shares yearly maintenance cost.
Hangzhou has also initiated a “Golden Housekeeper” project to provide property management services for residential communities which have lacked proper management for years.
Housekeepers have been dispatched to designated old communities with each one in charge of a specific aspect of daily management to solve problems and enhance people’s quality of life.
Commercial service companies offer their professional services, while the communities provide companies with outdoor advertising space.
Since senior residents dominate such old communities, some have taken the initiative to set up community-based health-care centers.
The health-care center in the Deshengxincun community is geared toward seniors with mobility issues.
The elderly can either visit the center for a check-up or have a home visit, and the examining results will be transmitted to doctors for assessment.
The entrance of an old residential building in Caihe Community has been renovated through the project to benefit residents.
