Shantytown Redevelopment Projects: State-led redevelopment in Chongqing, China

Since 1978, China's transition from a planned to a market economy, driven by neoliberal reforms, has profoundly reshaped the governance of shantytown redevelopment projects (SRPs). While market forces dominate urban redevelopment, the state remains pivotal, particularly in directing large-scale urban transformations. This duality has sparked debates over the state's role in policy implementation, market intervention, and the resulting disparities among stakeholders involved in SRPs. In 2008, the central government launched a nationwide shantytown redevelopment initiative, marking a turning point in urban governance. These projects aimed not only to improve substandard living conditions but also to align redevelopment efforts with broader goals, including economic growth, social stability, and urban modernization. The 18T Redevelopment Project in Chongqing serves as a flagship case, involving the relocation of over 6,000 households and a large number of shantytown tenants. It encapsulates the complexities of balancing state intervention, market dynamics, and stakeholder interests within the SRP governance framework. This study investigates the implementation of SRPs in Chongqing by examining stakeholder engagement and the operationalization of state-led governance mechanisms in the 18T project. Drawing on in-depth interviews with government officials, developers, and residents, as well as detailed policy analysis, the research unveils a governance model shaped by a top-down authoritarian approach infused with managerialist strategies and populist elements. The findings reveal a complex interplay between policy design, state-individual relations, and stakeholder dynamics, offering critical insights into the evolving governance landscape of urban redevelopment in China.