Song, Xiaotong and Cureton, Paul and Boyko, Christopher (2026) Enhancing Age-friendly Environments in Post-Danwei Communities : A Case Study of the Zhengzhou No. 3 State-Run Cotton Textile Factory. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.
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Abstract
Following the transition to a market economy and the dismantling of the Danwei community in China around the beginning of the 21st century, the basic unit of urban governance began shifting from the Danwei system to a community system, with welfare functions transferred to the new community. In particular, high-density ‘Danwei’ communities formed, which were created by all the national public organisations, and were based on employment relationships(e.g., all workers from the same factory lived together in the same community). In the post-Danwei period, these communities face severe challenges due to an ageing population and typically deteriorating areas. To combat these issues, the government has introduced numerous policies and initiatives at the municipal level to support ageing-in-place in these post-Danwei communities. However, no specified community-building actions have been developed for this particular context, which has unique spatial constraints resulting from its historical development. This thesis aims to respond to the call, proposed in the 14th Five-Year Housing Development Plan, for district-specific renewal plans to promote organic urban renewal. Specifically, it addresses the limitations of existing broad and generalised action plans for upgrading age-friendly environments in high-density post-Danwei communities, particularly regarding outdoor environmental spaces constrained by China's administrative system. The primary data for the thesis were collected through walking interviews, focus groups, and workshops. The walking interviews collect the elderly about their living experience in the neighbourhood. The focus groups were used to gather opinions on the elderly's preferences and community updates. The design guideline was developed through the co-design workshop with the related experts. From a thematic analysis of this data, the research proposes design guidelines for outdoor living spaces in high-density post-Danwei communities to bridge the gap between government work plans and practical implementation guidelines. These guidelines aim to enable such communities to achieve the outdoor environment construction goals set by the Chinese government for promoting healthy ageing. Achieving healthy ageing helps China gain demographic dividends from increased life expectancy and alleviates potential financial and social burdens associated with rapid population ageing.