A study on public participation in the conservation and regeneration of traditional central axis in the context of urban renewal: the case of Guangzhou traditional central axis

Guangzhou is devoted to urban renewal based on micro-regeneration, and the traditional central axis, which is one of the main targets of urban renewal, is facing some challenges in the current process of conservation and regeneration, especially whether the traditional central axis is still perceivable in today's urban development from the perspective of residents. Therefore, this research aims to examine the interaction between the protection and transformation of the traditional central axis and its historic districts and public perception in the context of contemporary urban renewal. This study focuses on the changes of the traditional central axis in Guangzhou's urban development and the role it plays in this process, examining the traditional central axis as it is affected in the context of urban renewal in Guangzhou, analyzing the challenges it faces, the resident’s perceptions of the traditional central axis, and the preservation and transformation of the traditional central axis from the resident's perspective. The research methods of this research include an extensive study of relevant literature, field observations, an online survey of residents, and semi-structured interviews with approximately six residents in the area.Through the analysis of the collected data, it was shown that the traditional central axis lacks spatial continuity, mainly in terms of architectural form, green space, and transportation.And in the current context of urban renewal (micro-regeneration), a challenge facing the traditional central axis is the lowered perception of residents of the traditional central axis space, due to their perception of the traditional central axis depending on their living environment. Moreover, in the conservation and regeneration of the traditional central axis undertaken by the municipal government, it has begun to introduce public participation, but the limited access to public participation and the lack of consideration of all stakeholders have led to resident’s dissatisfaction with the government-led conservation and regeneration projects of the traditional central axis. It is undeniable that the municipal government is making efforts for public participation, and we can see that the proportion of resident's opinions in the current conservation and regeneration projects is gradually increasing