Governance shifts in the contested regeneration of Beijing’s historical neighborhoods

This study examines the evolution of governance in urban regeneration through the analytical lens of governance modes and their shifts. Drawing on policy documents and interviews with 52 stakeholders, it investigates the changing governance alliances and the drivers behind these shifts in the regeneration of historical neighborhoods in Beijing over the past 70 years. The findings reveal that local governments have formed different alliances and delegated authority to a range of stakeholders to achieve governance goals at various stages. However, as the focus of governance has shifted from urban development to heritage conservation, alliances have increasingly involved government agencies rather than non-governmental actors. Both internal and external factors drive these changes. Among them, adjacent arrangements, pressure from higher-level governments, and mega-events emerge as the most influential. Additionally, the entrepreneurial transformation of local governments has played a key role in shaping governance transitions in China’s urban redevelopment. Our periodization analysis reveals the layered contestations in Beijing’s regeneration governance, especially tensions between residents’ welfare-based expectations and state-led market reforms, and the ongoing struggle to balance historic preservation with profit-oriented redevelopment.