Editorials

City gets relocation right

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-26 07:51

Beijing's new policy reflects its consid-eration for residents: Relocation of residents from the old inner city area will not be compulsory and those who are not willing to move will have their old dwellings renovated.

Compared with the coercive and even barbarous demolition, which would often spark conflicts between residents and real estate developers or local governments, local governments and developers should always be respectful to the will of residents.

True, Beijing's inner area within the Second Ring Road is too crowded, with a total population of 1.8 million. A four-sided courtyard that used to accommodate only one family several decades ago is now shared by several. As a result, many of these traditional courtyards have been too densely packed to have their original appeal. Living conditions are also poor.

So it's the right thing to do for the local government to renovate these courtyards and at the same time help improve the living conditions of residents.

However, many residents prefer to remain in the old city area because life there has much more convenience than in the suburban areas they are supposed to move to - downtown kindergartens, schools and hospitals are better in quality.

So what the Beijing government needs to do is to provide these public facilities with the same level of quality in suburban areas so that life there can be as easy as within the old city area. There should also be policy incentives to attract residents to move to suburban areas, such as bigger living spaces in suburban areas and enough monetary compensation for giving up their old houses in the old city areas.

One point is important: Old inner city area renovation should never be a process for the local government to make a profit. Instead it should serve the interest of residents and the overall development of the city in general.

(China Daily 03/26/2010 page8)