A Study On The Diversification Of Urban Community

The impact of social transformation of China is far-reaching in every aspect of social organs, including the transformation and innovation of the urban communities. The transition from planned economic system to market-oriented one, which is the essential characteristic of social transformation, leads to the transition of the essential characteristic of urban community from "Danwei Community" to "Modern Community" accordingly. At the same time, changes in many areas such as policy making, market and society functions, result in the disappearance of an unified development mode of urban community which formed in the period of planned economic system. It is evident that the current running mode of community has been transferring from an identical, homogeneous and stable status to a diverse, heterogeneous and unstable one.In early years of its establishment, Youyilu community, located in Shanghai Baoshan District, was a simple and homogeneous residential quarter attached to a big state-owned enterprise, which was a typical "Danwei Community". After 20 years' development, especially the reform of housing system in later 1990s, a structural diversification has appeared in many aspects, such as the values and demands of individuals, the standards and provisions of facilities, etc. This status of diversification shows highly homogeneous inter-communities and highly heterogeneous intra-communities. Case study also reveals the facts that different residents have different needs and diverse community groups have diverse issues that need to be addressed. Furthermore, it discloses the macro-level problem (Social weak groups' competence of controlling community resource is being weakened and ignored.) and the micro-level problem (The inadequate supply of community resource is incompatible with residents' diverse and different needs in the community.) of urban society.Facing the challenge under the diversification of urban community, the task of community planning should not be limited to appeal the establishment andimprovement of the social welfare and security policy. Therefore, the methods and contents of community planning should be reviewed and improved, such as transferring planning method from supply-oriented to problem-oriented, emphasizing the combination of physical planning and social planning, setting up a planning mode of collaboration and participation of multi-actors, and paying much attention to human care and social fairness, etc.The creativeness of this thesis is to study the diversification phenomenon of urban community from a relatively micro-level case study. It is in community level that it analyses and summarizes in depth the diversified realities and its problems of the community, and finally advances several relevant strategies and advices in the community planning.