Bespoke rules to manage historical communities
A bird's-eye view of neighborhoods on Nanchang Road which are being renovated in an ongoing program.
A new round of renovation projects has begun at neighborhoods on Nanchang Road where many cultural celebrities and reformists once lived.
The buildings, including garden villas and lane-style townhouses at the core area in Huangpu District, were divided and shared by multiple households, damaging the buildings' structures and worsening living conditions.
To ensure the environment won't be spoiled again after the renovations, a new management standard was released on Wednesday after soliciting opinions from residents.
It has 50 clauses integrating the city's existing regulations governing property management, the environment, garbage sorting and historical building protection, while involving some bespoke rules agreed to with the residents.
"The existing regulations are too scattered and some provisions are impractical to the old neighborhoods in the historical region," an official of the Ruijin No. 2 Road Subdistrict said.
If it proves to be effective, the standard, the first of its kind in the city, will be promoted across historical communities under the jurisdiction of the subdistrict.
It is expected to help restore the historical ambiance of the region, while improving residents' living conditions, mostly seniors over 60 years old, he added.
A new round of renovation projects has begun in neighborhoods on tree-lined Nanchang Road.
Two women cycle past historical neighborhoods where noted celebrities and reformists once lived.
The 1.7-kilometer road, originally called Route Dollfus and Route Vallon, stretches across the boundary between Huangpu and Xuhui districts. The boulevard is flanked by tall plane trees and villas once home to celebrities such as renowned painter Lin Fengmian (1900-1991).
Some representatives to the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China once lived in some residences along the road before heading to the site of the congress which is about 10 minutes' walk away.
However, as more people moved into the neighborhoods, the communities suffered from illegal structures, group renting, illegal parking and security concerns, said Chen Yanling, Party secretary of the Yandang neighborhood committee.
The renovation is mainly restoring the appearance, roofs and indoor public areas in the neighborhoods and has put an end to illegal buildings and group renting. More surveillance cameras will be installed at entrances with facial recognition technology to ensure security, Chen said.
The renovation is expected to finish first at the 74 Nanchang Road neighborhood, where the standard will take effect in a trial operation aimed at sustaining the results of the renovation project.
"We senior residents have deep emotions to the neighborhood where we had worked and have been living for decades," said a residents' representative who was invited to a hearing of the new standard.
"Our major concern is security and fire safety at such old residential buildings," he added.
To ease his concerns, a clause in the standard stipulates that the property management company and the housing, safety and community authorities should regularly examine the safety of the structure, its appearance and annexes.
Another clause rules that regular patrols should be conducted around the listed structures to protect them from damage or misuse.
Additional clauses will be added to the standard as new regulations to take effect, such as the one on garbage sorting which takes effect in July, according to the subdistrict.
Workmen check scaffolding as work begins to renovate the historical neighborhoods on Nanchang Road.
