Zhejiang news client reporter Huang Zhenzhen Yushan Sharing Alliance Kecheng Station Zheng Chen Changshan Station Zheng Xuli
When it comes to the organ compound, many people will think of the heavily guarded courtyard walls and fences. Today, in Quzhou, this "stereotype" has been broken and replaced by lush lawns and flower boxes.
Change starts with an action. At the end of 2019, Quzhou launched the implementation of the "demolition of walls and green" action to share space and let green people. For more than a year, Quzhou City, counties and townships have been linked at three levels, and government agencies, public institutions, state-owned enterprises, and residential communities have made every effort to promote the work of "demolishing walls and penetrating greenery". Up to now, Quzhou has demolished a total of 230 "compound" walls, demolished about 20,000 meters of walls, built nearly 50 pocket parks, and improved greening by about 245,000 square meters.
Why was the compound wall demolished? What changes have been brought about by the demolition of the wall, and what are the implications for urban governance? Recently, the reporter came to Quzhou to visit the story behind the "demolition of the wall and green".
The compound of the Quzhou Municipal Administrative Center after "tearing down the wall and turning through the green". Courtesy of Quzhou Municipal Organ Affairs Guarantee Center
The compound of the Quzhou Municipal Administrative Center in front of the "demolition of the wall and greening". Courtesy of Quzhou Municipal Organ Affairs Guarantee Center
Dismantling more urban "shared spaces"
Outside the Quzhou Municipal Government, the once 2-meter-high hedge, telescopic gate and iron fence have long disappeared. Passing through a row of flower boxes on the side of the road, the reporter easily entered the compound. Looking around, the roads in the courtyard are spacious and transparent, and the grass and trees on both sides are lush, and there are citizens who rush to run errands, and there is no shortage of passers-by who have leisure to stroll.
Quzhou's "demolition of the wall to see through the green" began here as early as possible. Why tear down walls? There is another deep meaning behind it.
In recent years, Quzhou, known as the "Sacred Land of Nankong", has proposed to build a courteous city. In a courteous city, inclusive and open temperament is the right thing to do. "Tearing down the wall and seeing through the green" is to provide more urban greening public welfare for the general public, and to return the public space to the public to the greatest extent.
But it is not easy to tear down the courtyard wall. Initially, some people expressed confusion and strong opposition.
"The most common concern is the security issue." Zhang Binbin, deputy director of the Security Department of the Quzhou Municipal Organ Affairs Security Center, recalled that at the end of 2019, when the Municipal Administrative Service Center first began to demolish the wall, the enthusiasm of the people in the hospital was not high, and some colleagues had looked for him to "theory": After the courtyard wall was demolished, how to ensure safety?
In the initial stage of wall demolition, Quzhou conducted a thorough investigation of various organs and units. The survey shows that in addition to "safety issues", there are also some special situations that need to be solved urgently: if the compound wall is shared with the surrounding community, it involves ownership issues that cannot be handled independently; some units are built in mountainous areas, and the walls cannot be completely dismantled due to terrain problems...
After the wall of the Quzhou Administrative Center is demolished, the on-site parking lot is open to the public free of charge on weekends and statutory holidays. Photo by Yu Shan, a reporter of this newspaper
How to relieve the concerns of wall demolition? How exactly will the wall be demolished?
In August last year, Quzhou issued the "Quzhou Urban Demolition Wall Demolition And Greening Design Guidelines" and "Quzhou City Demolition Wall Greening Implementation Plan", requiring all localities to combine different situations such as terrain environment, use nature, neighboring relationships and other different situations when demolishing the wall, to improve the landscape such as green space and green plants, establish a joint prevention and control security mechanism, and use the face recognition access control system, visitor and vehicle reservation system to change tangible security into sensorless security. At the same time, it is required that in the process of wall transformation, the walls such as classical gardens and historical and cultural blocks should be guaranteed to the fullest, and attention should be paid to the coordination of style. Considering the security issue, Quzhou also listed a "list of exemptions" for wall demolition, which are listed by public prosecutors, public prosecutors, schools, hospitals, etc.
After dispelling concerns, the number of organs and institutions willing to tear down the wall has continued to increase, including some units in the exemption list, and state-owned enterprises and residential communities have also taken the initiative to join. The number of wall demolitions has increased from 70 to 111, and 230 have been completed.
The "domino effect" after the demolition of the wall has made people see unlimited possibilities.
The urban environment is more beautiful. Large and small cities "shared green space" have been built one after another, and the government compound that was originally "located in the deep and unknown to the people" has been transformed into a green garden for citizens' leisure and entertainment. In fact, it is not only green living spaces that can be expanded, but also more unexpected "shared spaces" are forming.
A citizen bicycles past the compound of the Quzhou Municipal Administrative Center after "tearing down the wall and turning through the green". Courtesy of Quzhou Municipal Organ Affairs Guarantee Center
Taking the municipal administrative center as an example, after the demolition of the wall, the parking problem that has been a headache in the government compound has been accidentally solved. Before the demolition of the wall, due to the limited ground space, it was planned to build a three-dimensional parking lot near Building 3 in the compound, but it has been shelved due to financial and aesthetic issues. Unexpectedly, because the demolition of the wall found a good place to park nearby - it turned out that the underground parking lot of the Western Union Building was separated by a wall, and after the demolition of the wall, the vehicle passage of the Western Union Building and the administrative center was opened, and the sharing and sharing was realized, and the parking problem was alleviated.
After the wall was demolished, various departments focused on "sharing". For example, the Qujiang District Assets and Regulation Bureau and the District Environmental Protection Bureau have broken through the barriers of the organs through "demolishing the wall and passing through the green" to achieve cleaning and sharing. After the walls of the Quzhou Municipal Archives, the Ecological environment bureau and other departments were demolished, the barriers with adjacent hotels were opened, and shared parking spaces were provided for the hotel and the surrounding communities. In order to effectively alleviate the problem of urban parking, during the off-work hours on weekdays and weekends and statutory holidays, many government agencies and units will also open their internal parking spaces to the public free of charge for residents and tourists in the surrounding communities to share.
Changshan County Government compound after "tearing down the wall and turning green". Changshan County Organ Affairs Support Center courtesy of the map
The Changshan County Government compound in front of the "demolition of the wall and greening". Changshan County Organ Affairs Support Center courtesy of the map
Less walls and more demolition of the "heart wall"
In architecture, a "wall" is used to enclose, divide, or protect an area. However, there are also some drawbacks to the high wall: for example, it will appear somewhat closed, which is not convenient for communication and interaction between the inside and outside of the courtyard.
After the demolition of the wall, the inside and outside of the courtyard were integrated. People gradually realized that it was not only the physical wall that was demolished, but also an invisible "heart wall".
Xu Weihua, a 66-year-old Changshan man, has a deep understanding. The Longmen community where the old Xu family lived was next to the Changshan County Government compound. At one time, the county government building was mostly obscured by a high-walled gatehouse and two old buildings, and many Changshan locals rarely saw the "true face of Lushan". Due to the design and construction quality problems at that time, the entrance to the compound was very small and narrow, and even the fire truck could not enter, which was ridiculed by the locals as "drilling holes".
"Schools and supermarkets are opposite the county government, and the original three walls are blocked, and sending children to school and going to the supermarket must walk around the wall in a big circle." Xu Weihua said that after the demolition of the wall, the transparent and spacious government compound became the "back garden" of nearby residents, sending his granddaughter to school, shopping in the supermarket, walking after meals, and he had to run several times a day.
Lao Xu said that since the demolition of the wall, what he has felt most deeply is not only that the distance between going out to do things is closer, but also the relationship between cadres and groups that is constantly getting closer.
"When I first heard that the county government was going to tear down the wall, I couldn't believe it, how could the government compound just let the people in?" Xu Weihua told reporters that at that time, he and his neighbors had privately "gossiped": "Eighty percent of the wall was demolished and a fence was built" "After a few months of the project, the surrounding noise was unbearable"... When the wall was demolished, some residents blocked the progress of the project and negotiated with Liu Hanqiang, deputy director of the Changshan County Organ Affairs Support Center.
"I showed him the specific wall demolition plan and asked him to trust the government, and after the demolition of the wall, not only the courtyard space will be shared, but also the renovation project of the old community will be carried out at the same time." Liu Hanqiang said. The county government compound is built on a mountainous hill and is higher than the surrounding area. After the wall was demolished, the surrounding old community exposed some problems that needed to be solved urgently, such as the "spider web" of wires entangled in mid-air, the illegal buildings in front of the house and behind the house, and the leakage of sewer pipes.
"We were half-convinced. Unexpectedly, these things came true, not only 'tearing down the wall' to move the real character, but also fulfilling the promise. The enthusiastic old Xu took the reporter to see the changes in front of the house and behind the house, and praised this "people's heart project" one after another. At the same time as the demolition of the wall, the Longmen community also started the renovation project - the façade of the residential building was painted with new paint, the messy wires were straightened out, and a new rain and sewage diversion system was built, and the parking space was increased after the demolition of illegal buildings.
In Quzhou's first "wall-tearing" residential community, Xinhe Community, Hehua Street, Kecheng District, a special memorial wall attracted the attention of reporters. Cement walls, shirtless walls, transparent empty walls... This wall, from left to right, has been carefully designed into three different shapes, recording the whole process of demolishing the wall in the community.
In the Xinhe community of Lotus Street in Kecheng District, residents watch the memorial wall. Shared Alliance Kecheng Station Wang Si photo
"Originally, there was a situation of 'there is a community in the community' in our community, and 4 communities, such as the Lotus Community and the Dormitory of the Third Middle School, have self-built walls." Wu Jing, secretary of the party committee of Xinhe Community, said that the wall in the community not only caused the broken road to affect the travel of residents, but also invisibly became a "heart wall" between neighbors.
"Originally, once the gate was closed, I enjoyed the small courtyard exclusively, and the well water did not violate the river water." Speaking of demolishing the wall, Wang Ai'e, a resident of the Lotus Community, smiled embarrassedly. At first, she voted against "tearing down the wall." Before the demolition of the wall, the Xinhe community voted to establish the old community property reform committee through the "Linlitong", and the members were served by the party members of the grid branch, the backbone of the residents, and the community cadres, guiding most of the owners from passive bystanders to actively participate in the transformation of the home.
After the demolition of the wall, the community opened the east exit of the community of Hehua East Road and the south exit of Hesan Road, two main roads in and out, and the four communities were merged and named Xinhe Community. Looking back, Wang Ai'e did a "review": "The original idea was narrow. Looking at the current community, not only is the environment beautiful, it is convenient to travel, the neighbors have moved more, the relationship has become more harmonious, and I have joined the volunteer team of the community. ”
"I used to say, 'Your neighborhood, my neighborhood.'" Wang Ai'e lamented that in fact, the community is the common home of every resident.
The new Lotus community "demolition of the wall through the green" memorial wall. Photo by reporter Huang Zhenzhen
Explore a new pattern of urban governance
In recent years, with the rapid growth of China's economy, the process of urbanization has been accelerating. What cannot be ignored is that there are still some problems in China's urban planning and construction: such as urban planning is not forward-looking and open enough, the degree of urban construction economy is not high, and the supply of public products and services is insufficient.
In order to further strengthen and improve the management of urban planning and construction, and solve the outstanding contradictions and deep-seated problems restricting the scientific development of the city, in 2016, the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Further Strengthening the Management of Urban Planning and Construction" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which proposed that "new residential buildings should promote the block system, and in principle, closed residential communities should no longer be built." The residential quarters and unit compounds that have been built should be gradually opened to realize the publicization of internal roads, solve the problem of traffic road network layout, and promote the economical use of land. ”
After the "Opinions" were issued, cities such as Leshan in Sichuan and Changsha in Hunan have begun to try to dismantle the walls of government compounds. However, from the perspective of the whole country, it is rare for the city to dismantle the walls of government compounds and residential quarters on a large scale like Quzhou.
"Tearing down the wall and turning it green" is another beneficial attempt to innovate urban governance in Quzhou. Prior to this, Quzhou's urban governance innovations, which have attracted widespread attention, also opened the government's internal canteen to tourists and ordinary citizens during the "May Day" holiday, and opened the parking lots of many government agencies and units for free to alleviate the problem of parking at scenic spots.
From the perspective of the whole city of Quzhou, after the demolition of 230 walls, the red line of the road has been further clarified, and the structure of the urban road network has been continuously optimized. For example, after the Quzhou Municipal Hospital demolished the 180-meter wall on the east side, it widened and reconstructed the road, and used the central separation belt to separate pedestrians from the motorized road, which effectively improved the traffic congestion on the east side of the hospital. According to statistics, more than 10,000 shared parking spaces have been opened by 163 organs and institutions in the city after the demolition of the wall, and weekends and statutory holidays are open to the public free of charge, which effectively alleviates the problem of parking difficulties in various places.
After the Quzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital demolished the 180-meter wall on the east side, it widened and reconstructed the road and improved the traffic congestion in front of the hospital. Photographed by Yu Shan
"In fact, the demolition of the wall has also promoted us to a certain extent to continuously improve the level of refined management." Zhang Binbin told reporters that after the demolition of the wall, through the digital and intelligent security technology innovation and application, the safety of building access was further enhanced.
Chen Guiqiu, president of the Provincial Urban and Rural Planning and Design Research Institute, believes that after the demolition of the wall of the residential community, the community spatial structure in the urban grass-roots governance will be further integrated and optimized. He believes that unlike the compound of the government, after the demolition of the wall of the residential community, it also involves property management, public security and supporting facilities follow-up, and the protection of the rights and interests of the owners, which poses a challenge to community governance.
After the demolition of the wall, a series of attempts by the Xinhe community explored a new path of "urban renewal".
"Originally, there was a 910-meter wall in the community, which led to the division of space, and due to the small size of each community, there were still problems such as difficulty in property introduction." Wu Jing told reporters that while demolishing the wall, the community simultaneously promoted the reform of property management services, ending the 30-year history of no property management in xinhe community.
It is worth noting that unlike the general residential community property, the Xinhe community adopts a new property management model of "state-owned enterprise + community": a property company is established by a state-owned enterprise, and the community grid member is hired as the property management personnel, integrating the environmental order management, sanitation and cleaning, green maintenance, parking services and other projects in the public area. At the same time, it will absorb community cadres to concurrently serve as vice presidents of the company, cleaning supervisors and other positions, and gradually realize the "one skin" of property and community management.
"Tearing down the wall and turning it green" gives the future of the community a new imagination space. The reporter saw on the spot that the Xinhe community used the 500 square meters of public space added after the demolition of the wall to widen the road surface and add a lot of parking spaces, and the community looked new. The space is large, and the community has therefore rebuilt the street home care center, the canteen for the elderly, the community neighborhood center, and there are many shared functional areas such as baking houses, gyms, and exhibition halls.
Wu Jing revealed that the Xinhe community has now become a local future community pilot, and will expand the integration of neighborhood activities, smart health care, housekeeping services and other residents' life scene services in the future to create an ideal home for community residents.
……
"Tearing down the wall and turning it green" is still in progress, and the wonderful story in Quzhou City is not finished.