Abstract
Micro public space in urban area bears the dual function of physical and mental pursuit of the community. Nowadays, regeneration of micro urban public space has become a major concern in China’s city development with the purpose of promoting the quality of physical space, reproducing the city vitality and meeting the growing demand of local community for better life. There exist many practical cases showing that urban regeneration has become more inclusive and diverse, with the emphasis on public participation, multi-stakeholders’ involvement and community empowerment. Although the study of public participation has a long development in western literature, there is scarcely specific study in Chinese context based on Chinese social institution. Hence, this paper aims to figure out the diverse participatory methods for corresponding urban micro-regeneration process through the existing projects in Beijing. First of all, this paper discusses the guiding significance of inclusive design, outlines the develop process of participatory micro-regeneration, and summarizes the characteristics of Beijing cases in recent years. Then, taking 3 newly completed cases in Beijing (the micro-regeneration of Dashilar Yard, Qinghe Community Garden and Shuangjing "Jingdian No. 1" street space) as examples, a comparative study is carried out in terms of regeneration background, multi participants, process and content, effects and influences, to identify the experiences and limitations of micro-regeneration cases under different participatory modes. At last, this paper summarizes the existing problems, such as insufficient participation effectiveness, lack of professional financial support and poor operation in the later period, and puts forward some sustainable improvement strategies, which is to promote the co-construction platform, build a resource network, and improve the management system. The findings could provide a more thorough understanding of participatory micro-regeneration in Beijing, and offer some references for other similar projects as well .
