ABSTRACT

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ABSTRACT

URBAN CONTEXT

DESIGN STRATEGY

DESIGN PROPOSAL

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Abstract

Rapid urbanization has been going on since China started economic reforms in 1978. The economic and urban architecture development increased imbalance in the distribution of wealth causing economic inequality, while it had some positive socioeconomic impacts across Chinese society.

This thesis argues for the value of urban villages as places from an urban design perspective, meanwhile, seeks to understand the causes of these inequalities in the housing system and the negative impact of the reformation in rapid urbanization by learning from political, social, economic, and cultural influences and developing a new rational solution to address the current issues.

During the years, the government, developers, and architects invest money and efforts in the city’s massive development. Still, the potentials of these marginalized urban villages as part of the urban fabric are rarely studied.

This thesis will be analyzing a typical urbanized village neighborhoods in Shenzhen. Based on the analysis, it will be used to compare the new urban renewal approach for upgrading the living condition of marginalized communities and as an opportunity to incorporate a greater variety of socioeconomic groups into the same neighborhood. In the proposal, a series of interventions for the public space of the urban village that benefit both side of government and residents will be delivered through research and design iterations.