Top-down intergovernmental relations and power-building from below in China's urban redevelopment: An urban political order perspective. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Yang; Hamnett, Chris; Ye, Yumin; Guo, Wenwen
• Is Part Of: Land use policy. Volume 109(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Urban political order -- Intergovernmental relations -- Grassroots power building -- Enning Road redevelopment; Land use -- Periodicals; Land use -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Sol, Utilisation du -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation du -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.7305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105633
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-8377

Abstract

Abstract: From the perspective of urban political order, this paper focuses on the top-down intergovernmental relations and bottom-up grassroots power building in China's urban redevelopment. Based on the detailed case study of Enning Road in Guangzhou, the paper explores the distinctive features of the "socialist pro-growth coalition", the way in which grassroots power has been built to counterbalance the pro-growth coalition, and the factors that give impetus to regime transition. Finally, we conclude that: (1) the distinctive features of socialist pro-growth coalition lie in the unique intergovernmental relations; (2) the media plays a key role in grassroots power building to counterbalance the growth-oriented coalition; (3) transition of governing arrangements is the response of internal actors to external intergovernmental relations. Highlights: It enriches our understanding of the growth coalitions in Chinese transitional society. It explores the distinctive features of the "socialist pro-growth coalition". It illustrates the way in which grassroots power has been built to counterbalance the pro-growth coalition. It focuses on how intergovernmental relations influence agenda-setting and decision-making at local level. It explains what is the interactive mechanism of intergovernmental relations and grassroots power to promote regime transition.