A STUDY ON THE TYPES OF INTERACTION MECHANISMS BETWEEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND SPATIAL DESIGN IN THE MICRO-RENEWAL OF PUBLIC SPACES IN OLD RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES

Authors

  • Fujuan Feng School of Housing, Building and Planning, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA
  • Nor Arbina Zainal Abidin School of Housing, Building and Planning, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA
  • Zhihao Guo School of Housing, Building and Planning, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i44.2257

Keywords:

Public spaces in old residential communities, Micro-renewal, Public participation, Spatial design, Interaction mechanism

Abstract

As urban renewal in China shifts from large-scale demolition and reconstruction to small-scale and incremental micro-renewal approaches, the regeneration of public spaces in old residential communities has become a crucial issue for optimizing urban stock and promoting social sustainability. In recent years, public participation has been widely encouraged at both policy and practice levels, yet the degree of synergy between public participation and spatial design varies significantly across different projects. This study adopts the Expression–Translation–Response–Feedback (ETRF) process logic, widely taken for granted in both theoretical discussions and practical operations, as an analytical framework to examine how public demands are conveyed, translated, and responded to within design and governance processes. Based on a comparative study of six representative old residential communities in Shanghai (Hongxu, Shanbei, Xiuyuan, Sanlinyuan, Boyi, and Bosan), five types of interactive mechanisms are identified: highly collaborative, balanced collaborative, partial feedback, representative collaborative, and technology-dominated types. Furthermore, a collaboration–disruption continuum is proposed. The findings indicate that institutionalized participation channels and the depth of design translation jointly influence the level of collaboration, while social trust and feedback continuity affect the long-term viability of the mechanisms. Theoretically, this study provides an analytical path for understanding different types of interactive mechanisms; practically, it offers type-based references and optimization strategies for participatory renewal in the fields of landscape architecture and community planning.

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Published

2026-10-07

How to Cite

Feng, F., Zainal Abidin, N. A., & Guo, Z. (2026). A STUDY ON THE TYPES OF INTERACTION MECHANISMS BETWEEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND SPATIAL DESIGN IN THE MICRO-RENEWAL OF PUBLIC SPACES IN OLD RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 24(44). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i44.2257

Issue

Vol. 24 (2026): PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL : Volume 24, Issue 5, 2026

Section

Article

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