A Harmonious Society

Team: Richard & Stephen Wang
Richard Wei-Tse Wang [China Planning Research Group, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London] and Stephen Wei-Hsin Wang [Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics]

Final proposals:

1. Policies for Transport and Employment: Mobility, Employment and Buses

Unemployment and higher transport costs are major problems confronting China’s future. With deepening industrial restructuring, there are now over 275,000 registered unemployed citizens in Shanghai. At the same time, with continued urban expansion, more and more lower-income households face increasing financial pressures of commuting. Expansion of the urban bus networks, rather than only the more expensive underground metro system, can help resolve these challenges. Buses are an integral part of any sustainable transportation system that is affordable for all. Developing a larger network of buses will simultaneously create chains of new work opportunities including drivers, attendants, mechanics, inspectors, engineers and managers. Many are well suited for the low-skilled, the unemployed, those with limited work experience. In sum, the humble bus has a significant role to play in the future. They will help realise visions of a fully-employed, inclusive and more harmonious society.

1. 就业和交通政策：行动力，就业和公交车

失业率和交通费用的上涨将是未来中国所面临的两个重大问题。 在工业转型持续深化下，上海已有二十七万五千民登记失业工人。 同时，在持续的都市扩展之下，有越来越多的低收入家庭必须面对交通所连带的经济压力。与发展昂贵的地铁相比，扩展城市的公交车网络更可以帮助解决这些问题。公交车是可持续性的交通系统中不可缺乏的一部份，而且是乘坐费用最低的选择。 开发大型公交车网络能同时创造新的工作机会，包括司机、乘务员、机械工、审查员、工程师和管理人员等。这些工作岗位非常适合失业者和许多文化程度较低的市民。 总之，谦逊的公交车在将来可扮演一个重大角色。 它们可以帮助中国城市实现一个无失业，更包容和更加和谐的社会。

Employment_Bus strategy

2. New Housing Policy: Showers for neighbours

In a harmonious society, the relationship between old buildings and new buildings could change. After more than 20 years of rampant urban renewal, Shanghai today still has approximately 10 million m² of old lilong houses. Old houses are a vital source of affordable housing in the city, but an estimated 900,000 residents here still have no access to sanitation facilities such as bath, showers or toilets. If affordable housing is to be preserved in their current locations, a radical solution is needed. In the spirit of ‘neighbourly assistance’, new buildings may do much to help old houses. New developments adjacent to older sub-standard housing are required to include small numbers of missing facilities for their neighbours. In this way, communal shower and toilets will be made available for use by households without them, ensuring that poorer neighbours enjoy the fruits of urban development. This simple, yet profound change, might becomes the basis of a more socially inclusive, yet cost-effective housing system.

2. 住房政策：新房帮旧房

一个和谐社会中，老建筑和新建筑之间的关系因该有所改变。虽然已经过二十多年的迅速城市改造，上海今天仍有大约一千万平米的旧式里弄房子。这些旧里在城市里是廉价住房的一个重要来源， 但目前估计旧里中还有大约九十万民居民仍然没有卫生设施例如浴室或厕所。 如要将廉价住房在现地保留，一种新的解决方法是必要的。从`邻居互助的精神’为起点，新的建筑有很大的浅力可帮助老房子。如在旧的住宅附近要求新的开发项目提供旧房没有的卫生设施， 这样现代化的公共浴室和厕所可被大量普及化，进一步确保条件差的邻居都可享受到都市发展的成果。 这样简单的变动，可进一步迈向一个有包容性和经济效益的住房系统。

3. Policies for Education: Creative Kids

Many Chinese children are not creative enough. Given that creativity has become a key ingredient of cultural as well as economic competiveness worldwide, China needs to engage a process of creative reform. One part of the solution is to re-envision schools and how they work. Classrooms might no longer become the core 'space' in which education occurs. For example future schools will incorporate ‘art galleries’ and ‘business laboratories’ that are curated and managed through partnerships between students themselves, visiting artists and local businesses. These would offer new arenas of learning and experimentation about entrepreneurialism and artistic expression. School grounds should become the “streets” and ‘plazas’ where young voices and creative cultures are allowed to flourish. Schools must also look outward and be better linked to the outside. More active interaction with China’s rich pool of talented artists, scientists, performers, sporting figures, political leaders and entrepreneurs must be incorporated. Students will be encouraged to learn from doing, and by engaging with distinguished figures from the wider society. By promoting a culture of diversity, experimentation and connectedness in learning, we hope to see the emergence of a new generation of creative children throughout China.

3. 教育政策： 创意儿童- 新学园概念

许多中国孩子缺乏一些创意。既然创意是全世界文化以及经济竞争力的关键成份，中国需要逐步采取一个[创造性改革]的过程。一部分的答案在于社会对［学校］的再构想。一方面，学校可以更多元化。［教室］也许不再成为教育的唯一核心空间。 例如，未来学校将合并［美术画廊］以及［企业实验室］，并由学生门，地方艺术家和企业合作策划办理。 这些将提供崭新的场所让学生来参与及体验艺术表现及企业家精神。同时学校必须也向外看，与外界建立更好的连接。中国各地有大量优秀的艺术家、文学家、科学家、表演者、运动员、政治领导和企业家，必须将他们带入课程，并入更多的互动交流计划。在这样的环境中，学生将被鼓励从自我探索以及社会交流中学习。 通过促进这种多元性，实验性和互联性的学习文化，中国可以培养出更有创造潜力的下一代。

Creative Kids

We would attempt to address the problem of post-Olympic urban development with 3 proposals.

1.Harmonious Society [和谐社会]

Post-Olympic concept: the pre-Olympic emphasis on physical materialisations and city marketing schemes need to be balanced by less visible but necessary socially orientated initiatives.

‘Harmonious society’ is the core development doctrine advocated by the current Chinese State, although we find no clear definition of what constitutes harmony. From our view, increasing social and wealth disparity is a major impediment to true social harmony in urban China, and support and economic inclusion of weaker social groups in a sustainable economic system is one key arena for joined-up policy thinking. After the Olympics, it’s time to divert from high spectacle, high expenditure grand schemes to more fundamental programmes capable of delivering a more harmonious society. (to be continued...)

2. New Houses assist the Old Houses [新房帮旧房]

Post-Olympic concept: to further utilise market-driven property development to upgrade living standards of dilapidated housing estates.

This proposal seeks to resolve the housing deficiencies of the poor by making new housing developments redress the facility deficiencies of older, dilapidated housing. The mosaic of contrasting modern residential estates and dilapidated housing permeates the inner-city in Chinese cities (Huang, 2006; Wang, R, 2007). After 20 years of rampant urban renewal, Shanghai today still has approximately 10,000,000 m² of old lilong houses, in which an estimated 800,000 residents still have no access to indoor bath, showers or toilets. Old houses are a vital source of affordable housing in the post-reform urban system, despite their dilapidation. Nevertheless, lack of redevelopment funding has hampered the governments’ efforts to improve the living standards of these citizens. (to be continued...)

3. Creative Kids [创意儿童]

Post-Olympic concept: the socialist ideology of the ‘collective good’ needs be balanced by increased tolerance and encouragement of individual expressions in order to nurture creative generations for future competitiveness.

Many Chinese children are not creative enough. Given that creativity has become a key ingredient of cultural as well as economic competiveness worldwide, China needs to develop intelligent means of nurturing more creative kids. We see the Beijing Olympic event as the culmination of a top-down, nationalist endeavour. The “One World, One Dream” campaign is symptomatic of the socialist ideology of collectiveness that diminishes the individual. If future visions are top-down defined, what role can children play in defining their own visions of the future? More fundamentally the Chinese education system is not conducive enough to enhance children’s imagination and creativity. Conformity, cram schools, and academic competition all but define and take over the lives of children. The problems become apparent as many Chinese students face difficulty when they travel abroad and encounter a more self-initiative based system. Many Chinese student need constant hand-held guidance, step-by-step ‘procedural manuals’, before they can tackle a given problem. (to be continued...)