In tandem with progress and development of urban China, community governance has entered a new phase. The conventional mode of community governance relies primarily on two branches of local government: subdistrict offices and neighborhood committees. The mode, however, has been marked by lack of efficiency and effectiveness as well as by the absence of residents’ self-governance. Against this backdrop, innovation in community governance mode requires exploring how to incorporate residents into governance of their communities. This case presents a new mode of this type. It is derived from Guilongyuan Compound of Tangqiaojiedao of Pudongxinqu District in Shanghai City.

The Compound has attempted to develop its residents into governing subjects by engaging them in three collective self-help groups. The first is that of “Dailaoshiyishiting” (or “Hall of Teacher Dai” in English) which aims at addressing local affairs. The second is that of “Wenxinlianxiandian” (or “Friendly Connections” in English) which focuses on discovering residents’ gifts and encouraging them to serve one another with their gifts. The third is that of “Wenhuahuiketing” (or “Culture Hall” in English) which serves as a public space in which residents can learn, relax, and build social networks.

Three inter-related lessons about innovation in community governance mode can be learned from this case. First, residents need to be conceived of as citizens. From this perspective, they are not merely the objects of governance, but more importantly, the subjects of governance. Second, local communities need to welcome and facilitate residents’ participation in community governance. The community needs to provide resources and share information with residents so that a more inclusive understanding of community governance can be fostered in people’s minds. Third, the government needs to facilitate residents to self-govern their communities. This can be done particularly by government’s perceiving itself as a collaborator in community governance and delegating more power to residents.