Abstract
As China’s urbanization curve relatively flattens in recent years and the proposition of a territorial spatial planning system in the country, focus of urban development and thus orientation of urban planning in China have gradually transitioned from the so-called "incremental expansion" phase to the "stock optimization" development phase. Against this background, urban renewal, as an important approach to reviving urban functions and revitalizing the urban economy, plays an irreplaceable role in the present stage of urban planning and development in China. Beginning with the renewal of industrial areas in the more economically developed cities (deemed as first-tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou), an evident and current trend in planning practices is that a large number of old industrial areas in second- and third-tier cities are in urgent need of being transformed and upgraded. A closer look at the industrial areas in these less developed cities reveals that the simple model of comprehensive improvement, functional retrofitting, or demolition and reconstruction previously employed in first-tier cities can hardly be duplicated in their second- and third-tier counterparts as their often fail to unleash the potential needs of the latter cities and lead to unbalanced development. Therefore, the paper aims to establish a composite model of urban renewal suitable for second- and third-tier cities. By examining the development status of old industrial areas in second- and third-tier cities, this paper proposes a composite renewal model combining government-led guidance and market-based development. Taking the fashion town of Xiuzhou New District of Jiaxing City in eastern China’s Zhejiang province as a case study, the paper further presents and discusses the development and renewal practices, hoping to provide references for similar projects in old industrial areas in second- and third-tier cities.
