Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang proposed a new policy of "infinite urban renewal" at the end of last month. If interpreted literally, many people think it is too vague and difficult to understand. Shen Boyang specifically explained the six steps of "cyclic urban renewal" on his Facebook fan page, from land consolidation, house valuation, to relocation and reconstruction, making it easier for the public to understand.
Shen Boyang said that the old house he has lived in for decades carries the memories of his family and is surrounded by familiar neighbors and living circles. However, if he wants to live in a safer and more comfortable home, he is worried that he will have to wait for many years. After the house is demolished, he does not know where to move.
Therefore, he hopes that in the future, through "cyclic urban renewal", willing residents can first move to a suitable new home and then promote the renewal of the original base, thereby reducing the burden of long waiting and repeated relocation.
The six steps include:
Step 1: Take inventory of four housing sources
The city government will take stock of public land, old public buildings that need to be renovated, as well as public and independent housing resources, and gradually prepare houses for residents to exchange.
Step 2: Redistrict the renewal area, take inventory of needs and establish legal sources
Re-examining the scope of urban renewal areas will allow communities that have had difficulty promoting urban renewal in the past to have the opportunity to participate in urban renewal.
At the same time, we will investigate the needs of residents for house exchange, take stock of locations suitable for building new residences, discuss adjustments to relevant regulations, and establish an operating mechanism for a house exchange platform.
Step 3: Establish an exchange platform to allow residents to exchange houses fairly
The city government will establish a house exchange platform and a fair valuation mechanism so that willing residents can use the value of their original houses to exchange for new homes that better meet their living needs. Residents can choose "house exchange" to exchange the property rights of the old house for the property rights of the new house; they can also choose "exchange rights" to exchange the land rights of the new house.
If there is a price difference between the old and new properties, more will be refunded and less will be replenished according to the valuation results. Residents who need to make up the difference will also be provided with loan assistance to reduce the burden of house replacement.
Step 4: Build circular housing to allow residents to move in once
The city government will build the first batch of exchange housing first, so that residents who meet the conditions and agree to the exchange can move directly into their new homes.
In the past, it was more likely that you would need to move to an interim housing first and then move again after reconstruction was completed. Circular City hopes to reduce such troubles so that residents can maintain their original pace of life without having to move repeatedly to keep up with the situation.
Step 5: The old house is rented and managed first, waiting for the integration to be completed.
After residents move into a new home, the original old house does not necessarily need to be demolished immediately. If the community still needs time to integrate, and on the premise that the houses meet safety and usability conditions, the city government can first use leasing and management to allow the old houses to continue to function, such as as social housing, youth rental housing, or community childcare space. Wait until community integration is completed before promoting subsequent urban renewal.
Step 6: Complete the housing and then invest, start the next round of updates
After the reconstruction of the original base is completed, the city government can sell some of the legally acquired residences and reinvest the proceeds into the recycling plan, while the remaining residences can be retained as the next round of exchange residences.
In this way, after the first batch of residents completes the house replacement, they can continue to assist the second and third batch of residents, giving more old communities the opportunity to continue to update.
Shen Boyang said that from taking inventory of housing, establishing an exchange system, to assisting in relocation and completing reconstruction, the city government should proactively provide assistance so that citizens can have professionals to consult and discuss at every stage of urban renewal, and do not have to face complicated procedures alone. So that citizens don’t have to wait harder for everything, and they don’t have to travel around for relocation. Through the government's assistance and companionship, more families can move into new homes with peace of mind, and Taipei's old communities can gradually usher in a new look.
