Ms. Mingyue Zhang

PH.D Candidate

Seoul National University

Exploring the Intersection of Policy and Design: Social Housing Practices in Contemporary China

Since the 1978 reform and opening-up policy, China has rapidly transitioned from an agricultural society to a modern, urbanized nation. Urbanization and housing reforms in the 1990s fueled a surge in residential construction. Between 1978 and 2023, China’s urban housing stock expanded dramatically, from 1.4 billion to 33.55 billion square meters, while per capita housing space grew from 8.1 to 35.9 square meters. Despite this rapid growth, residential design innovation has lagged. The widespread use of standardized, homogenized designs has resulted in a uniform urban landscape, often described as “a thousand cities, one look.” Profit-driven developers and government policies prioritizing housing supply over quality further marginalized social housing, a critical sector for promoting urban diversity and architectural innovation. A notable shift occurred in 2010 with the introduction of the public rental housing system. This policy marked a new phase in China’s approach to housing, particularly in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, where social housing has since gained more attention. This study focuses on the evolution of China’s housing system and analyzes the architectural characteristics of public rental housing in these major cities. It explores how these housings balance public and private spaces within urban environments and community settings. The research aims to highlight the vital role of social housing in urban development and offer valuable insights for future architectural design and policy-making.