Jinsongbei community in Beijing's Chaoyang district was once a shabby and messy area－but thanks to the city government's efforts to revamp such neighborhoods, the community has been given a new lease on life.
Built in the 1970s, Jinsongbei community had become dirty and disorderly, lacking property management and modern facilities. In 2018, the local government launched a renovation project to enhance its living environment and strengthen community services.
Authorities started the project with infrastructure, working with a real estate company to install elevators and increase parking spaces.
Beijing has carried out 433 community renovation projects since 2017, involving 511 communities and 3,646 buildings
According to residents' demands, the community park was improved by planting more trees, building canopies and laying running tracks.
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A deserted bungalow became home to a community supermarket, while an old bicycle shed was transformed into a service station.
At the community center, elderly residents take part in various cultural activities and courses to entertain and enrich their lives. They can also enjoy home-care services provided by the property manager, such as housekeeping and help with bathing.
Jinsongbei's clean environment, advanced facilities and multiple services have become a shining example of community transformation, local officials said.
More than just Jinsongbei, Beijing has carried out 433 community renovation projects since 2017, involving 511 communities and 3,646 buildings.
Zhang Guowei, deputy director of the Beijing Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said the city regarded the renovation of old residential communities as key to improving people's well-being and promoting the city's sustainable development.
Local officials convened several meetings with residents to learn about their needs and drew up reconstruction plans based on them, Zhang said.
Last year, 61 projects were completed, benefiting 35,000 households. Collectively, the residents' satisfaction rate reached 90 percent, according to a government survey.
A renovation project must attach equal importance to the construction of infrastructure and property management, said Feng Keliang, deputy director of the commission.
It is necessary for refurbished communities to form a property supervision mechanism, so that achievements in renovation can be maintained, Feng added.
According to data from Feng, property management services have covered all the communities. Of them, 416 have established a property management committee or a house-owner commission.
Besides communities, the city has also ramped up efforts to replace substandard housing.
With a combined investment of 200 billion yuan (US$30.91 billion), some 150,000 houses in poor communities were revamped by the end of 2020, exceeding the original target by 30 percent.
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This year, Beijing plans to work on 3,995 households in poor communities to refurbish their residences and 300 community renovation projects are scheduled to start.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the capital will strive to complete all renovation projects of communities built before 2000, according to the city government.
