Urban regeneration, based on the development of culture tourism and culture heritage reuse, has become fashionable in China over the recent years. The phenomenon, however, has increased gentrification pressures across cities in China. Using qualitative methods, this study investigates the gentrification of Lingnan Tiandi, Foshan, examining the social and physical dimensions of the regeneration project.The sentiments of the original residents are analyzed, especially the underprivileged who were directly affected by the redevelopment. We found that the physical redevelopment has accelerated the social displacement, as Lingnan Tiandi is being increasingly rebranded for tourists and middle-class consumers. The residents who lived in Lingnan Tiandi for generations have been forced to move out, as the “living spaces” have been transformed into “capital-” and “consumption-spaces”. At the same time, residents’ sentiment underwent complex changes in the process of gentrification.
Jiang Chang, Michigan State University; Dixiang Xie, Guangdong University of Technology; Hongsheng Chen, Southeast University; Junjie Tan, Guangdong University of Technology
