Towards an Urban Mutualism: The Making and Shaping of Urban Space through Large-scale Mixed-use Development - case study Beijing

The contemporary urban world, especially Asian cities characterized by increasing density and rise of the economy, have been witnessing the emergence of urban spaces with hybrid characteristics. Hybrid urban spaces are characterized by spatial complexity, mixed multiple functions and complex management and operation. Large-scale mixed-use development(MXD) – defined as a sizable real-estate project combining multiple uses, provides one of the most typical conditions, in which hybrid urban spaces are created. Since the late 1990s, China saw a rapid growth of large-scale MXDs in its major cities. However, concerns and uncertainties arose regarding large-scale MXDs and the qualities of urban spaces they provide: on one hand, privately developed MXDs are criticized as space of commercialization, privatization, and gentrification; On the other hand, some new typologies are accepted as an extension of the public sphere and demonstrate a feasible model for a win-win situation between developer and generic urban users. Such uncertainties indicate the incapacity of conventional ways in understanding new urban space typologies and their qualities, necessitating a redefinition of the core value and qualities of contemporary urban spaces, and more empirical investigations on large-scale MXDs regarding their potentials or limitations as a process through which contemporary urban space are made and shaped. Addressing these two key tasks, this research firstly provides a necessary review and re-definition of the core value and qualities represented by modern-day urban spaces regarding the “hybrid” urban situation. Second, literature is reviewed to provide an understanding of the process of large-scale MXD. On this basis, empirical research is conducted on the large-scale MXD cases of Beijing – regarding the historical context, characteristics of MXDs and urban spaces, as well as the making and shaping of urban spaces through the process of these projects, to explain the mechanisms, key actors and factors in making these urban spaces and shaping their qualities. As a conclusion, the author points out the potential of achieving a “mutualistic” relationship between large-scale MXD and urban spaces and qualities, through which both the large-scale MXD and city benefit from each other. The potential for such an “Urban Mutualism“ consists of three key dimensions: 1) “Shared qualities“ - urban qualities which are needed for achieving the development objectives of large-scale MXD; 2) “Supporting mechanisms“ - logic and rules involved in the nature of large-scale MXD and context, which can be utilized to achieve the desired urban qualities while also contributing to the success of the large-scale MXD project; 3) “Techniques” - Innovative strategies and interventions of making and shaping in response to MXD’s nature and the specific context of development. Besides explaining such potential through selected case studies, this study offers also suggestions and recommendations to release such potential - in taking advantage of large-scale MXDs to create high quality urban spaces in Beijing or other contexts