Renewal injects new energy into community

Several children play happily on a ship-shaped structure built of steel and wood around an old tree. They take hold of the ship's wheel on the bow, scramble into the mock cabin, and shout through play voice tubes.

It's one of the achievements of a community renewal project at the Huahang Building in Jianghan district, Wuhan, Hubei province. Originally built in 1988, the building is home to more than 190 households, many of whom are retired shipping workers.

The play ship reflects the city's deep-rooted shipping history and wharf culture. As a pivotal hub in the Yangtze River shipping network, Wuhan once sustained generations of sailors, dockworkers and their families.

After more than 30 years of use, the Huahang Building was in urgent need of renovation. The hallways were choked with electric scooters, the vast common area was poorly lit by feeble bulbs, and the space was both cramped and dim.

Kuo Ta-chi, 43, a designer from Taiwan, who has lived in Wuhan for 17 years, collaborated closely with local residents to carry out the transformation.

Thanks to their joint efforts, the community has seen a dramatic change. Residents now park their vehicles in an orderly fashion and voluntarily take good care of the public spaces. They can also visit a new gallery about the history of shipping that has been created in the building, allowing them to reminisce about the old days.

After the internal and external renovations were complete, the waste sorting and recycling areas are planned to be upgraded within this year.

"Now, residents gather in the public corridors to chat and relax every evening. The neighborhood is clean, well-kept and filled with a harmonious atmosphere. This is the most rewarding outcome of community renewal," Kuo says.

It was in 2009 that Kuo married his wife, whom he met earlier in Wuhan, and decided to settle in the city. He often works with social work organizations, focusing on diverse projects including community placemaking and curation.

In 2024, he took on the renovation of the Huahang Building, but his first step was not to take measurements or draw blueprints — it was to knock on doors and talk to people.

The residents were wary and guarded at the beginning, but Kuo and his team carefully explained that they wanted to record the stories of veteran shipping workers and listen to their ideas and requests for community renewal.

The first person to open up was an elderly woman surnamed Zhou, who passed away last year. She introduced them to other older residents, whom she encouraged to share their stories.

"Individual stories gradually grew into collective storytelling sessions, and we gathered abundant life stories from retired shipping workers and their families within about four months," Kuo says.

They also jotted down residents' requests on sticky notes, such as the need for a place to chat and a space for kids to play, and Kuo carefully wove these ideas into the design for the community's renovation.

He believes the ship-shaped play structure in the complex connects older and newer generations. While children can learn about the city's shipping history, the elderly can relive their past memories.

As funding was limited, only iron-workers and electricians were hired for the construction of the installation, and Kuo and his team undertook the rest of the work.

The hemp ropes used in the facility's protective netting were twisted by hand, and are rough and durable. These traditional rope-making techniques were taught by several veteran sailors living in the community.

Kuo and his team have also transformed the first-floor corridor of the building into a gallery of shipping history, where old artifacts and vintage photographs tell stories of the past. Kuo picked up some items from secondhand markets, and local residents voluntarily donated their own objects, like old ferry tickets and logbooks. Kuo also bought a nearly century-old original photo of the neighborhood for 900 yuan ($132.94) from a secondhand market.

"It's a record of the city's shipping history, with the original look of the old street. This is far more vivid than any written text," he says.

The motivation behind the shipping history gallery, he says, was to create a sense of ownership among the residents. "Many tenants are moving into the building, most of whom know little about its history. It's also next to a primary school, so there are many children in the neighborhood."

He says this gallery fosters a sense of belonging among residents and encourages them to take care of public spaces. It inspires adults to protect their homes and gives children early exposure to the local wharf culture, nurturing a lasting pride in the community.

Xiong Xingwu, 75, a retired sailor who lives in the building, offered old photos of the building's early days and archival documents for the gallery. "This community holds memories of most of my life," he says.

"Kuo is warmhearted and devoted to the renovation. The living environment has been greatly improved, and residents have formed a team of volunteers to do daily cleaning."

Kuo believes that successful community renewal lies in the symbiosis of space and emotion. A renovation should not only meet basic housing needs but also address residents' deeper spiritual aspirations, bringing them back into public life.

He adds: "Home is more than just a place to rest. It nurtures social connections and neighborhood bonds and is a carrier for people to pursue their ideal life."

Kuo says that community design and urban regeneration on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan share a common focus on respecting humanity and preserving local memories.

While Taiwan started its community revitalization initiative earlier, he says that cities on the Chinese mainland have seen rapid urban development, and public awareness is growing. "We need to devote greater efforts to guiding and uniting residents, building shared consensus and gradually nurturing a strong civic spirit in the neighborhood."