Hehua Tang

How it is possible to understand an extremely complex urban pattern like the one of a Chinese traditional settlement? This is the question we have tried to answer studying the district of Hehua Tang. Fitting in the actual Chinese attraction toward the typo-morphological studies, our work aims to give its contribution in the prevention of heritage’s value

Despite the completely different context, the todays Chinese cities are experiencing exactly what the historical Italian cities lived in the Sixties. At the time, characters such as Saverio Muratori and Gianfranco Caniggia literally saved many Italian historical centers from the Modernist damnatio memoriae introducing for the first time the concept of typo-morphology. In this sense, it is interesting to apply this concept in China, aiming to counteract the economic driven developments, that are threatening the identity of the cities. The research, therefore, starts from the study of the "ordinary buildings", that according to the Italian Typological School are the true elements which shape the city and its identity.  In addition to the fascinating typological question, another crucial aspect that has been taken in account in the regeneration process is the complex situation of property rights. The poor land tenure security and the chaotic distribution of private and public properties, results of continuous twist and turns throughout history, in fact, further complicates the conflict of interest among government, developers and residents.  The only way to solve this condition is to clarifie the property rights and the responsabilities in a stroke, toward a Community Land Trust model. Taking the land "out of the market", the CLT ensures a perpetual housing affordability, reducing the fear of forced eviction and improving the sense of belonging of the residents. But overall, It is a model that well suits the current Hehua Tang condition of "city in a city" where the strong sense of community deserves to be preserved and encouraged, as it represents a basic element of traditional living.\nStarting from these two key concepts, typology and ownership, a new methodology, a step by step strategy, is defined to face the regeneration of Hehua Tang and provide guidelines for a more sustainable development of Chinese historical neighborhoods.