Tearing down the barriers of exclusivity

The central authorities have issued a guideline on urban development, which maps out the basic principles, key tasks and targets to ensure cities are "orderly constructed, properly developed and efficiently operated".

The document, drafted by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, was issued on Sunday, two months after leaders met for the Central Urban Work Conference and promised to make China's cities greener and more livable. In particular, the document proposes to promote block-based residential communities in Chinese cities, and put an end to the construction of the "walled" ones, which are spread across the country. The guideline says residential communities, built by real estate developers and owned by local governmental departments, should also be gradually made open for public use, in regard to their once-exclusive facilities like traffic lanes.

The potential adjustment in urban management has given rise to heated public discussions, with many fearing that living in a neighborhood without boundary walls would not only pose a threat to their security, but also raise disputes over how to share public space.