Heaven Palace? Learning from gated high-rise living

Abstract

Gated high-rise living has become the most popular housing for middle-class citizens in China re¬cently. The traditional definition of Chinese commu¬nity has been changed and merchandized by liberation of housing market in 1980s. Technology, urban popula-tion growth and high profits empowered the boom of high-rise living. Gated high-rise living stands out in the suburbs distinctively with its physical density and so¬cial implications, separating the suburban fabric. Why is gated high-rise living prevailing in China? How does a high-rise gated community form symbolic and physi¬cal barriers for its homeowners and a new dimension of social segregation in Changsha? How can public and private spaces be re-defined on the peripheral skirt be¬tween gated communities and its surroundings?

The aim of the research is to define gated high-rise communities in the suburban context in China, to learn about physical form, interfaces, archetypes and daily lives from the objective, and to give guidance to future design.

Literature review will give explanations about the phenomenon of gated high rise living, its character¬istics and reasons for its formation. The research will be grounded to Changsha, rapidly urbanizing city in the central south China. Regional scale investigation will be focused on housing, living and the city. At the lo¬cal scale, observations, visual documentary, interviews and questionnaires are combined to reflect on the daily lives in gated high rise communities.

Large areas of suburban land have been zoned, gated and privatized, which leave the suburb to be patched with enclaves. The pursuit of profit and state policy allowance are the main reasons for high-rise living. Social inequality and income gap formed of physical and social borders. Urban space between the enclaves and the interfaces are neglected. The high-density inside the gate calls for more public infrastruc¬tures, while the residents outside the gate have to get into the community for urban greenery. Comparison between the lives outside and inside the community in¬spires further design.

The speed of sprawling gated high rise commu¬nities can be slowed down, while waiting for the infra¬structures and population to catch up. Neglected urban spaces need to be studied, in order to be improved. So¬cial segregation should be minimized and residents of different social status have the right to be merged for common good. Residents’ customs and innovations for operating urban space should be respected and studied.