Authenticity as a challenge in the transformation of Beijing's urban heritage: The commercial gentrification of the Guozijian historic area

Abstract

The transformation of Beijing's historic center is in need of an evaluation from the standpoint of authenticity, a concept increasingly used and constantly redefined. Beginning with a heritage-based definition of authenticity, this article will present a review of the urban intervention policies that have been implemented in Beijing's inner city hutongs since the Revolution in 1949, evaluating their effect on the capital's preservation. Then, the paper will continue describing how current urban redevelopment is assuming contemporary definitions of urban authenticity emanating from the creative city paradigm and the tourism industry, leaving a lasting effect on its vernacular heritage. Taking the historical area of Guozijian as a case study, this article will evaluate the integration of contemporary commercial architecture into this historic setting. This evaluation will highlight how flawed conceptions of authenticity have brought about an ongoing gentrification process that is displacing a large share of the population, a fundamental component of urban heritage authenticity.

Learning from Italian Typology- and Morphology-Led Planning Techniques: A Planning Framework for Yingping, Xiamen

“…This technique also provides metaphysical inspiration to address the "why", since practices dominated by the technique indicate that the maintenance of physical consistency not only enables the improvement of living quality, "biodiversity", and social cohesion for the common people (not only for tourists) [9,94], but also produce a practical advantage as an asset to manage urban change and facilitate sustainable development through recognizing and reconnecting various structured urban areas with their specific connotative features [95,96]. In other words, heritage could be deemed as an engine driving the sustainable development of both historic environments and the entire urban territory, which is also reflected on the concept of historic urban landscape proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011 [24,97].…”

“…Much of the existing research relating to urban conservation and regeneration of China focuses on several key topics: the historical development process of urban conservation and regeneration in China in the context of the transforming political-economic conditions [16][17][18]; the interpretation and implication of international principles and ideas of heritage conservation and management in the Chinese context, such as the Burra Charter [19,20], the idea of authenticity [21][22][23][24], and the concept of historic urban landscape [24][25][26]; the role of governments in facilitating the revitalization of dilapidated historic quarters and generating politico-economic benefits [27][28][29][30][31], especially through cooperation with real-estate developers [32,33] and through the pursuit of World Heritage listing [15,34,35]; social capital, public participation, and interaction of regenerating and conserving historic quarters [36][37][38][39][40]; the transformation of spatial structures and urban forms in historic areas [41,42]; and the indicators for assessing the sustainability of built heritage [43,44].…”

How Can It Be More Real? A Case Study to Present the Authenticity of a Local Heritage District from the Perspective of Regional Spatial Morphology

“…Existing studies include the paper of Jonathon Day, Xiaolin Shi et al which discusses perceptions of authenticity of the Nanluo alley by evaluating the perceptions of 353 visitors [26]. Plácido González Martínez takes another historic area in Beijing-Guozijian as an example, and studies how urban intervention policies affect the alleys in Beijing, and further discusses the compatibility between authenticity and change in the Guozijian area [27]. Comparative research about the spatial patterns of this area from the past to the present, and the discussion of the authenticity of the heritage based on it, are even fewer.…”

The Transition from Housing Demolition to Conservation and Renovation in Shanghai: Challenges and Countermeasures

“…Some scholars even suggest a city that preserves urban heritage is a "modern utopia" [13]. However, realizing HCR is in line with UNESCO's recommendations on the historic urban landscape [18,39,40]. Some scholars argue that HCR could be smoothly performed through innovative means [13,41,42].…”

“…Hence, the urban neighborhood is excluded from decision-making and profit distribution [11]. Furthermore, economically-led HCR projects may lead to problems such as commodification, gentrification [39], displacement, social exclusion, and heritage dissonance [43]. Therefore, community participation is needed to promote heritage conservation and urban sustainability [44,45].…”