Historic conservation in rapid urbanization: a case study of the Hankow historic concession area

In rapidly changing Chinese cities, the conflict between conservation and redevelopment appears acute and complex. This paper uses the Hankow historic concession area as case study to examine the evolution in ideology, mechanisms, policy and planning of historic conservation in Wuhan. The findings are based on multiple field visits, semi-structured interviews and a literature review. It explores the roles of various participants who brought these changes, such as local and central governments, state-owned and private enterprises and the public, to provide experiences and lessons for the sustainable development of heritage sites in the future. It argues that historic conservation in China bears significant top-down characteristics. Implementation of laws and regulations regarding historic conservation at the national level, especially the conservation system of historic cities, has played a key role. In this context, local laws, regulations and management systems have been gradually established by local governments who seek the rapid development of the metropolitan areas. However, such a top-down approach has hitherto failed to fully consider the will of local people, and has led to difficulties in implementing historic conservation plans. Meanwhile, excessive government intervention has suppressed the market’s role, thus preventing the full potential of historic conservation and revitalization of historic urban areas.