Residential satisfaction in traditional and redeveloped inner city neighborhood: A tale of two neighborhoods in Beijing

Since the 1990s, China has experienced a resurgence of urban redevelopment in inner-city neighborhoods. Some redevelopment projects have sought to preserve elements of classical Chinese neighborhoods by “repairing the old to look old.” In Beijing, the Ju’er Hutong Project exemplified this movement by using the New Siheyuan-style of redevelopment, which was believed to preserve a traditional communal lifestyle and to improve living conditions in existing neighborhoods. This study compares dwelling conditions, daily activities, and individual satisfaction in traditional neighborhoods and in the redeveloped New Siheyuan areas by analyzing the results of a questionnaire and in-depth interviews with residents. This study suggests that, although the built environment is improved after redevelopment, residents in the redeveloped Ju’er neighborhood exhibit less developed social networks and participate in fewer neighborhood activities than residents in traditional, non-redeveloped neighborhoods. In the Ju’er Hutong Project, residents’ overall satisfaction is significantly lower, and residents reported a lower level of satisfaction in almost all areas, including with the built environment, neighborhood facilities, and with the social environment. These results suggest that the façade-style approach to redevelopment with traditional architectural elements may improve the built environment but also may not preserve neighborhood social networks and therefore sustain residential satisfaction. Further research on urban redevelopment in Chinese inner-city neighborhoods should consider including neighborhood satisfaction as a measure for evaluating the outcomes of projects.