2026 Theses Master's

University-led Micro-regeneration in Xiaoxihu, China?

Qian, Zhiye

Micro-regeneration (微更新/微改造) has emerged in China as an alternative to demolition-based urban redevelopment, emphasizing incremental intervention, limited demolition, and the retention of existing communities. This thesis examines the Xiaoxihu (小西湖) project in Nanjing, a widely discussed micro-regeneration case associated with the School of Architecture at Southeast University, and asks how to understand Southeast University's role throughout the project.

Through an in-depth case study, this research reveals that while the university played a crucial mediating role in institutional design and consensus-building, decisive authority over core issues remained firmly concentrated in the hands of the state. Consequently, the project is more accurately understood as a state-led endeavor embedded within the logic of state entrepreneurialism, where the government and the university found shared value to achieve both academic outcomes and city image-making objectives.

The case reveals both the achievements and limitations of this model. Compared with demolition-based redevelopment, Xiaoxihu retained a substantial proportion of original residents and enabled a slower, more negotiated form of urban regeneration. Yet the project's achievement depended on highly specific institutional conditions and the exceptional historical and symbolic value of the site. Ultimately, Xiaoxihu still offers vital practical lessons for future urban renewal in China by showing how university participation can create new possibilities for mediation, negotiation, and resident-sensitive implementation within a fundamentally state-led framework.

Keywords: Micro-regeneration, Southeast University, Xiaoxihu