For years, Beijing's historic homes have been threatened by redevelopment pressures. Now, the building of illegal additions by homeowners looking for affordable ways to expand are causing alarm. For the local government, the solution is demolition.
"Beijing’s courtyard homes and hutongs have been disappearing rapidly since China opened its economy in the 1980s, robbing the capital of some of its character," writes Sue-Lin Wong. "In recent years, historians and residents have expressed concern over the razing of hutongs.
But just as threatening to the character of the hutongs are the small-scale construction projects, many of them ad hoc, that sidestep local planning laws and alter the atmosphere of the neighborhoods, say hutong historians and old-time denizens of Beijing.
Beijing’s astronomical housing prices make it tempting for homeowners to build up and out, even though it is illegal to change the exterior appearance of properties in designated heritage zones. The result is a shoddy mess of concrete, plastic awnings and tarpaulins, with an extra few floors or an extension going up in a day or two of surreptitious construction."
FULL STORY: 13th-Century Alleyways and a Modern Plague of Illegal Renovations
Beijing Disappearing
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
