Why could the state-led approach to redevelopment of urbanizing village lead to failure?
为何一元主导的城中村改造会失败？

In recent years, it has become increasingly important to renew and redevelop areas of inefficient land use so as to curb uncontrolled sprawl of the city. A key topic constantly explored in the field of community planning pertains to two balances that need to be struck: one between development and preservation, and the other between efficiency of redevelopment and effectiveness in collaboration. This case is derived from the redevelopment of Xiancun, one of Guangzhou's first urbanizing villages that have undergone the state-led model with the government as the sole decision maker in the redevelopment process. It has yielded some painful lessons to inform redevelopment planning in the future.
为提升土地的集约节约利用，防止城市边缘的无节制蔓延，对已有城区内低效利用土地的区域进行更新改造在近几年来发挥着越来越重要的作用。在城市的发展中如何处理好发展和保留的关系，寻找到改造速度和有效协同合作之间的平衡点，是社区规划中不断被探讨的重要问题。广州市冼村作为广州市第一批改造的城中村之一，其实践的政府主导的一元决策更新模式，留下了惨痛的教训，也为之后的改造规划提供了一定的经验启发。

Conventional single-party decision making model was adopted in the process of redeveloping Xiancun. In the early phase, the government was responsible for demolishing buildings, preparing funds, and designing redevelopment plan. In the execution phase, the government was the only party carrying out the plan, neither making the plan transparent nor considering opinions of other stakeholders. In this sense, the government was both the planner and the executor. Due to immature plan, lack of transparency, and lack of supervision mechanism, several serious problems occurred. Members of Xiancun village committee defalcated redevelopment funds. Severe conflicts broke out between villagers and the committee. Demolition came to a standstill, leaving some spots abandoned. Some complex pre-existing conflicts within Xiancun did contribute to this redevelopment impasse. Nonetheless, the single-party decision-making mentality was an important factor leading to the failure in this case.
冼村是广州市第一批开展实施城中村改造的。在此过程中政府采取了传统的一元决策模式，由政府主导，负责改造前期的拆迁实施、资金筹备、更新方案制定。整个环节由政府独立执行，并未公开工作内容或考虑其他相关利益主体的意见。政府不仅是此次规划的设计制定者，也是实际实施者。由于社区规划的方案不成熟、信息不公开、实施过程缺乏监督机制，集中爆发了冼村村委原班子成员贪污规划改造款项、村民与村委产生严重纠纷、拆迁改造工作陷入僵局、部分地区甚至成为处于拆迁状态的烂尾楼等严重问题。此次的规划僵局，不仅归因于冼村项目本身客观存在的村内矛盾及复杂背景；其一元主导的决策思路，更是导致此次失败案例的重要原因。

The failure has shed light on how to better redevelop urbanizing villages. First, the single target should be replaced by multiple targets because redevelopment affects the interests of many parties, not just the government, but also individuals, groups, and the public. Multifaceted conflicts could be expected when these interests competed with one another in the redevelopment process. The case shows that in the early phase of redevelopment all interested parties should be acknowledged, and proper mechanism should be established for them to make decisions together. It also shows that in the execution phase information should be made available to all interested parties so that they can work together to set directions for redevelopment, reach a balance of interests, and achieve a win-win situation of collaborative governance. Second, procedure justice should be upheld in the decision-making processes. Without procedure justice ensured by the establishment of a scientific system of decision-making and management, it would not be possible to implement decisions efficiently or orderly, nor would it be possible for all interested parties to reach a consensus.
冼村城中村改造的失败教训为城中村改造提供了以下启发：第一，用多元目标替代一元目标。城中村内的旧城更新，涉及公共利益与个人利益、社会利益等众多利益主体，多方利益的博弈不可避免的会产生多方面的矛盾。冼村失败的规划案例证明，在规划设计的前期，便应充分明确涉及的各方主体，设立合理的共同参与和决策机制，在实施过程中，应及时公开信息，共同讨论发展方向，平衡多方利益，以实现共同治理的多赢局面；第二，决策过程不可缺失程序正义。只有建立科学的决策参与和管理体系，保障程序的公平正义才能真正保障政策的高效有序实施，达成多方的共识和支持。