Spatial Justice and Residential Differentiation in Inner-City Xi'an: A Comparative Study of Resettlement Housing, Urban Villages and Public Rental Housing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/5ty8t107Keywords:
Spatial Justice, Urban Village, Public Rental Housing, Resettlement Housing, Urban Renewal, Xi'anAbstract
This study develops the original field report on urban problems in Xi'an into an English academic paper on residential differentiation and spatial justice. Taking East Bali Village resettlement housing, West Bali Village urban village housing and the Mingdemen public rental housing area as comparative cases, the paper examines how three housing spaces located close to the Xiaozhai central business district serve different social groups through differentiated rents, environments, tenancy relations and redevelopment expectations. The field evidence shows that Mingdemen public rental housing provides the most stable and comfortable environment at a low monthly rent of about 400 yuan, mainly supporting elderly people, disabled residents and other vulnerable groups. East Bali resettlement housing has better formal housing conditions than the urban village but relatively higher rents and a lower occupancy rate, reflecting the tension between physical upgrading and livelihood continuity after demolition and resettlement. West Bali Village offers the lowest threshold for migrants, delivery workers, security guards and small vendors, but its dense buildings, shared facilities, poor lighting and safety risks make it a typical low-cost yet environmentally deprived housing space. By linking the field findings with recent Chinese and international literature on urban renewal, affordable housing, migrant settlement and urban village governance, the paper argues that low-rent informal or semi-formal housing should not be understood only as an object of clearance. It also performs a compensatory function in the urban housing system. Inclusive renewal in Xi'an should therefore combine environmental improvement, rent affordability, tenant protection, livelihood support and participatory governance.
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