Human impacts of changing city form: A case study of Beijing.

Abstract

This study explores the impacts of change in the physical form of Beijing, China, on its city life. Since the 1950's extensive reconstruction has taken place throughout Beijing. As a result, the old original city has been transformed into a new one that differs from its past with respect to scale and street layout, land use patterns, architectural style, and type of housing. The impacts considered are people's images and perceptions and evaluations of city environmental quality. To better understand the impacts of changing city form among different people, a comparative approach is used. Differences and similarities in responses to change are examined for design professionals, i.e., architects and planners, and for city residents. Responses among residents living in three types of residential environments are also explored. The data for this study were obtained mainly through a questionnaire survey administered to a sample of city residents and design professionals and through face-to-face interviews with a sub-sample of residents and professionals. A review of reconstruction documents and local newspapers and on-site observations provided supplemental information. The data analysis indicates that the changes in physical form impact greatly on people's images and their perceptions and evaluations of the city's environmental quality. Reactions towards reconstruction and change differ between professionals and residents in terms of their attitudes towards historical preservation. Determinants of images of the city, and evaluations of the city's reconstruction since the 1950's also differ between professionals and residents. The most important predictor of city life satisfaction and reconstruction evaluation is architectural quality. However, people's reactions to the city as a whole are also influenced by the extent of change in, and their feelings about, their own housing. This results in variation in perceptions and evaluations of the city's reconstruction among residents living in traditional courtyard houses, 1950's apartments and modern high-rise apartments.