Measuring Resident Participation in the Renewal of Older Residential Communities in China under Policy Change

Abstract

There is a growing global trend to encourage citizen participation in solving urban problems, and there is worldwide consensus that the public voice needs to be considered. This study uses an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to focus on the factors influencing resident engagement following changes in renewal strategies in older residential communities in China. Empirical analysis was carried out based on structural equation modeling (SEM) of a completed questionnaire with 865 respondents. The results showed that Neighborhood Relations (NR) had a positive impact on Participation Attitude (PA); both PA and Awareness Participation (AP) had a positive effect on Self-evaluation (SE), and SE and AP had a positive impact on Participation Guarantee (PG). A survey was also conducted on residents’ concerns and perceptions of the redevelopment of the old neighborhood, analyzing the current issues of residents’ more significant concerns. It showed that public emergencies can affect residents’ inherent perceptions. This study enriches the China-specific focus of the issue and is a reference for similar studies in the future.

1. Introduction

The regeneration of residential communities is a comprehensive issue requiring many parties’ involvement and a holistic approach. One of the essential points that must be noticed is the role of the residents in this. In particular, greater emphasis is presently being placed on sustainable development and to achieve this goal, resident participation and community democracy are particularly important [1]. Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. This figure is set to continue to grow as global urbanization increases further [2]. In the past, the program and design planning for the renewal of older housing was often the responsibility of the decision-making department or some planning and design specialists. However, as some practice progressed, it became clear that this model could cause many problems, such as indifference to residents’ voices, disconnection from actual needs, and non-transparent incidents [3,4].

Research on citizen engagement has become a hot topic in recent years. We searched the ScienceDirect database using the keyword “citizen engagement” and found that there has been an increase in relevant research over the last decade (Figure 1). The research varies in approach and methodology and covers many areas. A team of researchers from the Environmental Policy Centre of the Finnish Environment Institute has published a literature review summarizing the relationship between citizen participation and sustainable development. It illustrates the positive effects of citizen participation in related matters in terms of raising citizens’ awareness, clarifying the competence of each party, and facilitating the advancement of projects [5]. A team from the Korea Environment Institute conducted a study on public participation in an environmental impact assessment in Korea. The government’s failure to implement the results of the citizen survey was noted, and improvements were discussed regarding public participation measures [6]. A team from the University of Michigan has studied the United States’ experience and says that consulting residents early in the planning process can help prioritize their concerns. This directly extends the influence of the inhabitants concerning the land, thus being cost-effective and beneficial to multiple parties [7]. A team of researchers from the Netherlands told us that promoting community development in the form of a contract between the sector and the public can increase the influence of residents on community development projects [8]. These studies all confirm the importance of citizen engagement and inform the issues facing China.

The regeneration of old urban residential communities is not only about renewing their spatial form, but also about integrating the needs of all aspects of society, considering the needs of society as a whole, economic development, and respect for history and culture. This also highlights the importance of citizen participation throughout the project. In Socially Restorative Urbanism: The theory, process, and practice of Experiemics, Kevin Thwaites et al. describe the need for a people-oriented path to urbanization and public participation. When the participatory process is perceived as transparent and highly inclusive, positive social interactions increase and the sense of community is strengthened [9]. It can also bring many social benefits, including increased awareness of the issues [9]. In a difficult financial situation, the participation of residents can also reduce the negative impact of the erosion of public funds [10,11]. Older urban settlements house large groups of disadvantaged people, and the needs of these groups often need to be noticed [12,13,14,15]. When city authorities undertake large-scale renovations to beautify cities and improve the quality of human settlements, the needs of disadvantaged groups often need to be considered more [14,15]. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to protect the housing rights of vulnerable groups [14,15]. Experts advocate that cities should reflect class inclusiveness and spatial diversity [16,17]. However, the question of how to rebuild physical spaces and help them connect to society from the perspective of vulnerable groups still needs further strengthening.

As the most significantly and rapidly urbanizing country in the world in recent decades, China’s cities continue to grow. Over time, the residential communities built decades ago have become old. The government and experts proposed a policy of shantytown renovation. After piloting in some provinces and cities, it was introduced nationwide in 2008 [18,19]. The policy uses monetary rehousing to promote the regeneration of older areas by paying residents compensation to move out of older neighborhoods and buy new homes. The shantytown renovation strategy is an excellent solution to older communities’ habitat and economic problems. However, this significant demolition and renovation pattern has also created new problems. For example, the excessive pressure on local finances, the rapid increase in property prices and land prices, the generation of large amounts of construction waste, and problems with urban memory and cultural heritage have proven unsustainable [19,20].

In recent years, the authorities listened to the advice of experts and the public and began to change their renovation strategy; thus, “patchwork urbanism” was introduced [21]. The new model moves away from the mass demolition approach of the past and begins to focus on regenerative means of addressing the problems older residential communities face in terms of their habitat. The 14th Five-Year Plan for the Implementation of New Urbanization clearly defines the goals of building cities for the people, refraining from significant demolition and construction, and focusing on repair and renovation [22]. This model is similar to that of some developed countries and is in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations [23]. In order to achieve the objectives of planning, planning and implementation are only designed according to government departments’ wishes, without residents’ participation, and it is easy to ignore the real needs of the people [3]. It is easy to intensify conflicts between the general public and the decision-making authorities, causing problems such as delays in work and social conflicts [3,4].

China has a population of over 1.4 billion people, much more than the combined population of the European Union and the United States. The Chinese President said, “China is a vast country with a large population, and it is normal that different people will have different demands and views on the same matter. Consensus should be forged through communication and consultation.” It is even more important to communicate, listen to demands and build consensus in the renewal of senior residential communities. How to do public participation well with a considerable population and different national contexts is difficult to answer using the experiences from other countries since they cannot be directly replicated. Research teams from China have also conducted studies on issues related to public participation. These studies confirm that community resident participation has an impact on community transformation and that a variety of factors influence community resident participation. Previous studies have pointed out that most of these research surveys are conducted in a city or a limited community and are geographical in nature. Extensive surveys for all regions of the country still need to be included [24]. Therefore, this study was conducted nationally to produce a nationally unrestricted research result to inform subsequent related studies. What factors have a generalized effect on participation across the country, and how do these factors affect each other? The present study can also serve as a reference for relevant surveys targeting specific areas. It also has implications for how government, planning, and design departments can effectively organize relevant resident surveys.

This study builds on previous research to construct a structural equation model that examines the impact of different factors on civic engagement. After examining the factors influencing resident participation, this paper also investigates residents’ concerns about accommodation options and existing problems in senior communities. This is a survey that has been done less frequently in the past. An attempt was made to analyze the results of the resident survey. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the theory used and provides a literature review of relevant studies, describes the development and policy evolution of communities in China and related research, and presents hypotheses in the context of existing theoretical studies; Section 3 presents the research methodology and practical information; Section 4 analyses the data; Section 5 discusses the results; and Section 6 presents some limitations of this study and future research objectives.

2. Background

2.1. Older Residential Communities’ Regeneration and Citizen Engagement

When it comes to the renewal of older residential communities and citizen engagement, one cannot ignore the federal urban renewal program introduced in the United States in 1949. The program began with the Housing Act of 1949 and was declared over by President Nixon in 1973 [25]. The project aimed to clear the cities’ slums and redevelop them on their original sites to solve the cities’ problems and regenerate the urban landscape, among other things. In the actual implementation process, controversy raged. The vast amount of money spent could have achieved the desired goal. Large-scale demolition was outside the cities’ interests. At the same time, the partnership model between private capital and local governments was prone to the pitfalls of benefit transfer, resulting in low-income groups not benefiting. The voices of residents were ignored, and social tensions intensified [26]. The federal urban renewal program has been fiercely criticized by both the left and the right in the country. For example, right-wing representative Mattin Anderson authored The Federal Bulldozer: A Critical Analysis of Urban Renewal 1949–1962 [26]. Jane Jacobs, a left-wing representative, is the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities [27]. Europe is also concerned about the drawbacks of this urban renewal in the United States. In the 1970s, residents and professionals in the West Berlin area united to resist the urban renewal model of large-scale demolition, which led to an anti-demolition campaign. The campaign in Berlin was ultimately successful, and most of the buildings in Block 118, which were scheduled to be demolished, were preserved. It also marked the beginning of new urban regeneration measures in Berlin and other parts of Europe, where gentle urban renewal was proposed [28]. Under the new policy, the needs of residents and their voices were given prominence to put people first and to move cities and communities toward humane development.

As society progresses, people are conscious of their rights more than ever before. Democracy and human rights being universal values, most countries in the world take into account public perceptions when formulating policies. In Western countries, citizen participation is increasingly being used to solve urban problems [29]. Mexican scholars have studied local perceptions of the impact of airport construction, and observed that people formed both positive and negative perceptions from different perspectives [30]. A study from the Czech Republic examined residents’ views and tendencies on how urban parcels were revitalized, learning about positive attitudes towards parcel regeneration and examining the influence of different factors on respondents’ perceptions [31]. A team from the University of Passo Fundo in Brazil analyzed citizens’ perceptions of community sustainability issues based on a survey of residents to verify which indicators had the most significant impact [32]. A Singapore team surveyed Singapore residents’ views on the Green Home Retrofit Programme and found that residents were not only supportive of the program, but also willing to pay for it. This helped the authorities understand public perception and enhance the retrofitting program [33]. Therefore, public participation, particularly from residents of the project area, is crucial to project implementation.

The Chinese administrative system is significantly different from that of the West. Most of the urban land in China is owned by the government. The authorities have an absolute say in the planning and use of land [34]. As the authorities’ policy on the regeneration of older residential communities shifts, policymakers know that public perception will lead to better projects. However, it is a challenge to effectively gather public opinion. Residents understand the problems and pain points of the area they live in better than decision-makers and designers. Implementing improvements blindly without a complete understanding of their needs may be counterproductive. How to collect public opinion effectively is particularly important. This is also the focus of attention and research in this article.

2.2. Development and Policy for the Renewal of Older Residential Areas in China

The creation of older communities is inseparable from the development of urbanization in China. In a report released in 2019, the National Bureau of Statistics divided China’s urbanization into three stages: the exploratory development stage (1949–1978), the rapid development stage (1979–2011), and the qualitative development stage (2012–present) [35]. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, urbanization was slow or even at a standstill due to the social structure of the then dualistic division between urban and rural areas and some political factors [36]. China’s urbanization rate was 10.64% at the end of 1949, and by 1978 it was between 17% and18% [37]. It was only after Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed the policy of reform and opening up that China’s urbanization process accelerated significantly [36,37,38]. China’s urbanization level was 36.2% in 2000 [38], 18.3 percentage points higher than in 1978 when the country was reformed and opened up, and the world urbanization rate was 46.7% in the same year [39]. In 2011, China’s urbanization rate exceeded 50% for the first time, reaching 51.3%. The urbanization rate reached 64.7% in 2021, with eight provinces reaching an urbanization rate of 70% or more [40,41,42]. The significant and rapid increase in urban population will inevitably lead to the development of residential communities.

China’s economic development has also played an essential role in urbanization and community formation. For a considerable period after the country’s founding in 1949, China’s economic development model was dominated by a planned economy [43]. In this institutional model, the community’s investment, construction, and distribution are all in the hands of the government and the unit [44,45,46]. The system initially effectively protected the population’s welfare and maintained social stability. However, in the long run, there needed to be a proper coordination mechanism between the various components of the system, and funds did not work well. It was only after the reform and opening up in 1978 and up to 1992 that China gradually abandoned its rigid planned economy and started to implement a market economy [47,48]. In the intervening decade, residential community policy also began to differ from that of the past. In 1979, for the first time in the new China, a company in Shanghai offered 20 units of commercial housing, all for sale to the families of overseas Chinese [49]. On 2 April 1980, Comrade Deng Xiaoping put forward the general idea of housing system reform, proposing commercialization. In June of that year, the commercial housing policy was formally implemented, first on a pilot basis and then extended to develop gradually throughout the country [50]. China’s urban residential communities started to see a whole new development.

As we enter the 21st century, the residential communities built in the last century have become old and uninhabitable. China proposed the shanty reform policy, first piloted in Liaoning province and launched nationwide in 2008, as a guaranteed housing project [51,52]. The implementation of the shantytown reform has significantly improved the living conditions of the masses, perfected city functions, improved the urban environment, and, to some extent, cushioned the impact of the economic crisis in China in 2008 [53,54]. However, it has also driven rapid growth in urban housing and land prices, especially with the impact of the widespread implementation of monetized resettlement becoming more apparent. The start of a significant contraction in the squatter policy in 2019 also marked the end of the policy.

The significant reduction in the 2019 squatter target plan is well documented. Patchwork urbanism was proposed and piloted in several cities in 2017 [55,56]. Patchwork urbanism calls for the demolition of illegal buildings, the restoration of urban facilities, spatial environments, and landscape features, and the enhancement of urban character and vitality. In 2020, the General Office of the State Council issued the Guiding Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Renovation of Old Urban Areas, which have explicit provisions on how to change old residential areas and the scope of the renovation [57]. On this basis, all localities are moving closer to the guidance in conjunction with existing or forthcoming policies, introducing relevant local regulations. In 2021, the Circular of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Preventing Large-scale Demolition and Construction in the Implementation of Urban Renewal Initiatives was issued, and the renewal of old residential communities in China entered a new situation of renovation instead of demolition [58].

2.3. Previous Studies and Extended Hypotheses

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is often used in investigations concerning the analysis of human behavior. Ajzen first proposed TPB in 1985, and its three potential variables are attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control [59]. Attitudes assess personal factors or behaviors, which may be good or bad. Subjective norms are social factors, views, or behaviors that are agreed upon by most people. Perceived behavioral control is the observation of confidence in the act of performing. The TPB has also been extended in the academic community with different research directions to help researchers achieve their research objectives. National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers used the extended TPB to understand the current situation of young people (aged 18–35) in Singapore concerning their participation in urban planning to understand why young people are underrepresented and to explore solutions [60]. On sustainable food consumption, a Malaysian team used the extended TPB to study the factors influencing consumers’ consumption of sustainable food based on research needs [61]. Other research based on TPB on the willingness of households in developing countries to adopt grey water treatment technologies, compared the original theory and the extended theory in explaining respondents’ intentions, finding the extended theory to be more convincing [62]. Researchers from Tongji University combined TPB and ECM to investigate residents’ willingness to participate in community micro-renewal [34]. Our present study extends TPB further in conjunction with research needs. The TPB is used as a guide to integrate relevant research evidence and broaden its application to surveys affecting resident engagement in the context of the evolution of renewal policies in older communities in China. Specifically, the predictors for this study were derived from existing studies, followed by the formulation of hypotheses.

Neighborhood Relations (NR) are critical in community relations and have been the subject of much research. Neighbors are also often among the first to be able to offer relevant help when faced with trouble [63]. Good neighborhood relations also indicate more social cohesion and mutual trust [64,65]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, neighbors needed to help each other to provide relevant support to people at risk [66]. In a related study conducted in Nanjing, China, researchers found that neighborhood relations moderated attitudes toward participation [67]. Therefore, we propose the hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1 (H1). 

Neighborhood Relations (NR) positively impact attitudes toward Participation Attitude (PA).

Awareness Participation (AP) also affects citizen engagement. It is well known that awareness is a personal factor, a personal assessment of a particular behavior. Awareness Participation (AP) as an enabler is an intrinsic motivator for individuals to identify and perform a behavior. In Shen and Wang et al.’s discussion of the factors influencing public participation in urban water environmental management behavior, the sense of environmental responsibility as a special kind of responsibility is described [68]. A Dutch team used awareness as a social, institutional indicator in their study of community participation in community empowerment systems [69]. Hong Kong has studied the direct relationship between the civic consciousness of the elderly and their participation in elections and found that older people have a stronger sense of participation than younger people [70]. These studies all illustrate the importance of awareness participation and the factors that can be measured in a public participation study.

In social psychology, the attitude-behavior theory has confirmed a reciprocal influence relationship [71]. Underlying mental attitudes can have a potential impact on individual behavior. In a study on the relationship between political attitudes and political participation, the researcher focused on the causal relationship between attitudes and participation, and sought to explore whether there were other potential influences between attitudes and political participation [72]. The Irish study investigated the relationship between farmers’ self-identification and attitudes toward the AES program and found that there was an effect. Attitudes and self-identity, although they look similar [73], denote different structures. Attitude is an expression or assessment of a particular matter, similar to the perceived behavioral control in TPB. Self-identity indicates the individual’s assessment of self, in other words, Self-evaluation (SE). Li’s 2013 study on Chengdu indicated that public attitudes toward participation significantly impacted public participation behavior [74]. Based on attitude-behavior theory and these studies, we propose the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 2 (H2). 

Awareness Participation (AP) positively impacts attitudes toward Self-evaluation (SE).

Hypothesis 3 (H3). 

Participation Attitude (PA) positively impacts attitudes toward Self-evaluation (SE).

Participation Guarantee (PG) is essential in resident participation. The exclusion of residents does not contribute to the governance of the area. When the government and the people need to collaborate, the government has to communicate and consult with the people, not command and control. This requires a participation guarantee to ensure that residents can communicate with the authorities on an equal footing. The city of Hangzhou in China has enriched and improved its urban governance system to provide residents with a guarantee of participation, enhancing the enthusiasm of Hangzhou citizens to participate in urban affairs [75]. In a study on the effective participation of residents in renovating old neighborhoods in Taiyuan, Wang mentions the influential role of participatory subjects and participation guarantees [76]. It is well known that the prominent participants in the regeneration of old residential communities are the residents of the community, who have a sense of participation and evaluation of themselves. Therefore, we propose the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 4 (H4). 

Self-evaluation (SE) positively impacts attitudes toward Participation Guarantee (PG).

Hypothesis 5 (H5). 

Awareness Participation (AP) positively impacts attitudes toward Participation Guarantee (PG) .

Hypothesis 6 (H6). 

Self-evaluation (SE) will play a direct and active mediating role in Awareness Participation (AP) and Participation Guarantee (PG).

We established a conceptual framework based on the assumptions and research methods mentioned above (Figure 2).

3. Methods

3.1. Geographical Area of Study

The renewal of old residential communities is a national policy implemented throughout the country. Therefore, for the integrity of the survey and to avoid geographical development differences affecting the survey, this study area was conducted throughout China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) (Figure 3).

China’s population growth figures are shown in Figure 4, and the population shares by region are shown in Figure 5. These data are derived from the seven population censuses conducted in China [77]. As mentioned above, China’s urbanization rate has today exceeded 60%, indicating that more than half of the population lives in city residential communities.

3.2. Research Design

First, we needed to determine an adequate sample size. This required a review of the relevant published studies. In a study from the University of Hong Kong titled, Mental health issues and health disparities amid COVID-19 outbreak in China: Comparison of residents inside and outside the epicenter, a survey of 433 adults from 28 regions in China was collected [78]. In another study, a survey on the willingness of Chinese residents to ban petrol cars was carried out. The team collected 476 questionnaires across China [79]. Based on these studies, it was determined that the number of successfully returned research questionnaires needed to be at least 500. The number of questionnaires distributed was set at 1,000 or more to ensure a triumphant return.

Secondly, we consulted the internet for information on the renewal of older residential communities in different parts of China. Regions usually publish updates for the year for that region through government websites or the media. According to public information or news reports, Shenzhen in South China had 980 projects with an area of 8,182.5 hectares announced in its urban renewal unit plan for 2021 [80], and Guangzhou had 224 old reform projects in its annual urban renewal project plan for 2022 [81]. In southwest China, 313 old residential communities in Chengdu are undergoing a 2021 renovation project [82]. The city of Urumqi in northwest China planned to renovate 342 old residential communities in 2022 [83]. Nanjing in eastern China had 128 old residential communities in 2022 scheduled for renovation that year [84]. Shijiazhuang in North China planned to renovate 956 old residential communities in 2022 [85]. Shenyang in Northeast China planned to renovate 475 old residential communities in 2022 [86]. These figures indicate that the number of old districts initiated and awaiting renovation nationwide is still very large, so the survey must cover the whole country (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan).

The next step was how to conduct the questionnaire. The methods were mainly online and on-site surveys. At the time, the government still enforced a strict epidemic prevention and control policy. Therefore, there were many inconveniences with the on-site survey, and we decided to adopt an online survey.

Finally, we determined how the data should be analyzed once it had been collected. In academia, SPSS and AMOS are commonly used as analytical tools. Before the study began, team members studied tutorials on SPSS and AMOS to better prepare for data analysis.

3.3. Data Collection

After reviewing existing studies and considering the characteristics of this study, a questionnaire was designed based on the above concepts and hypotheses to better understand residents’ participation and factors influencing the regeneration of old residential communities. In detail, the questionnaire contained an introduction to the study and basic personal information about the respondent, including gender, age, work status, location, education level, and income. The design was then based on the five hypothetical variables above on a five-point Likert scale. Each item was taken from the existing literature and modified accordingly for this study. After the initial set-up was completed, we invited eight relevant experts from the industry to review it and conducted interviews with experts to collect their concerns and opinions on the research. (

Table A1. Information about the experts.

Basic Information	Answer
Gender	Male: 4 Female: 4
Professional Title	Professor: 3 Associate Professor: 5
Education Level	PhD: 5 Master: 2 Other Qualification: 1
Main years of research	3–5 years: 1 5+ years: 7

and

Table A2. Specialist visits.

Expert Visit Form
Q1 What do you think should be achieved by residents’ participation in the renovation of old residential areas?
Experts	Answer
Expert No. 1	It is necessary to investigate the problems of the old community on the spot and listen to the opinions of the residents. Do not build blindly. Achieve green renewal of old communities.
Expert No. 2	Residential areas become safer, cleaner and more functional
Expert No. 3	Residents’ living conditions are improved, and they can use the transformed environment to carry out certain livelihood activities
Expert No. 4	Listen to what most people think.
Expert No. 5	More consideration of residents’ needs to improve residents’ satisfaction
Expert No. 6	Living comfort, convenience, and safety need to be considered. Let residents make good memories.
Expert No. 7	Realize the participation of residents of all ages and listen to the real needs of residents.
Expert No. 8	In-depth understanding of residents’ demands, improve residents’ participation, and jointly propose solutions according to local conditions with the designer.
Q2 What do you think are the problems of residents’ participation in the renovation of old residential areas at this stage? What do you think about this?
Experts	Answer
Expert No. 1	In recent years, the old community renovation model has changed a lot, but the ideas of many officials and residents have not been updated. It is necessary to strengthen the publicity of the policy, let everyone understand the new policy, and unite everyone to rebuild our homes.
Expert No. 2	Some old community updates are cosmetic only and do not address functional issues. The problem should be addressed more systematically.
Expert No. 3	Can the renovation plan proposed by the professional department coordinate residents’ wishes and professional cognition and how to fit the renovated environment with the original living habits? I think this is the direction to think about.
Expert No. 4	There is not enough funding for the renovation of old residential areas, and the small space limits the renovation. I think the government needs to invest more.
Expert No. 5	The renovation of old residential communities is a considerable expenditure, and the source of funds needs to be considered. We should consider whether official investment and private capital can be better utilized to benefit the people.
Expert No. 6	Some residents need to learn more about reconstruction, and they pay too much attention to whether they can get enough economic compensation. Economic benefits, local culture, and memory retention should be considered when implementing renovations.
Expert No. 7	There is no in-depth research on the needs of the masses, and the participation of residents needs to be increased. It is advisable to carry out research work on the groups, take interviews, discussions, and other methods to understand the needs of people of all ages, stimulate the sense of ownership of the masses from face to a point, balance and coordinate various possible contradictions and conflicts, and maximize social value as much as possible.
Expert No. 8	At present, the participation of residents needs to be improved, and many renovation projects are sets of templates that are not targeted. It should be institutionalized and programmed, public opinion should be enhanced, and reform plans should be designed more scientifically.

). A small pre-survey was completed on the internet after incorporating expert comments, and the questionnaire was again refined and validated based on the results. The last part of the questionnaire investigated the concerns and existing perceptions of the participants regarding the regeneration of old residential communities, which was an innovative design for this study based on previous research.

The questionnaire included the following sections (Table 1):

• The questionnaire was explained to the respondents accordingly.
• Personal information of the interviewees.
• Factors influencing respondents’ participation behavior, including Participation Guarantee (PG); Awareness Participation (AP); Neighborhood Relations (NR); Self-evaluation (SE); Participation Attitude (PA)
• Respondents’ concerns and perceptions related to the renewal of old residential communities.

The large-scale experiment was carried out on the internet, starting with questionnaire recruitment posted on a professional website, where 1225 subjects volunteered to participate. The study profile was described in writing and each participant informed that the information completed would be used for academic research only. Participants were encouraged to fill in the questionnaire to ensure the study’s rigor. Finally, 913 questionnaires were successfully collected. The questionnaire return rate was 74.5%. After excluding 48 invalid questionnaires that took too short a time, had incomplete answers, or had irregular answers, 865 valid questionnaires were obtained, with an effective rate of 94.7%.

Table 1. Indicators and related items.

Variables	Indicators	Items
Participation_Guarantee	PG1	The extent to which residents’ views are taken into account by the authorities will affect my participation.
	PG2	The extent to which the builder values the views of residents will influence my participation.
	PG3	The extent to which third-party social organizations value residents’ views may influence my participation.
	PG4	The ease with which residents can participate affects my participation.
Awareness_participation	AP1	Willingness to participate in surveys organized by decision-making authorities on the renovation of old residential communities.
	AP2	Willingness to participate in surveys organized by third social parties on the renovation of old residential communities.
	AP3	Keep up to date with information on the renovation of older residential areas in my area.
Neighborhood_Relations	NR1	My familiarity with my neighbors has diminished.
	NR2	I have less communication with my neighbors.
	NR3	My neighbors and I have become less helpful to each other.
	NR4	My trust in my neighbors has diminished.
Self-evaluation	SE1	In my opinion, the old residential community is a poor living environment and needs to be renovated.
	SE2	I think I am a socially responsible person.
	SE3	I think I will actively participate in safeguarding the interests of residents.
	SE4	I have my ideas and proposals for the regeneration of older residential communities.
Participation_Attitude	PA1	Existing engagement channels affect my ability to feed my views and opinions to decision-making authorities.
	PA2	Existing engagement channels have affected my ability to provide input and perspective to third-party organizations in society.
	PA3	When my feedback and opinions are not taken seriously, my trust in that department, organization, or institution decreases.
	PA4	I would accept participating in the renewal of an old residential community even if I was not paid accordingly.

Table 1. Indicators and related items.

Variables	Indicators	Items
Participation_Guarantee	PG1	The extent to which residents’ views are taken into account by the authorities will affect my participation.
	PG2	The extent to which the builder values the views of residents will influence my participation.
	PG3	The extent to which third-party social organizations value residents’ views may influence my participation.
	PG4	The ease with which residents can participate affects my participation.
Awareness_participation	AP1	Willingness to participate in surveys organized by decision-making authorities on the renovation of old residential communities.
	AP2	Willingness to participate in surveys organized by third social parties on the renovation of old residential communities.
	AP3	Keep up to date with information on the renovation of older residential areas in my area.
Neighborhood_Relations	NR1	My familiarity with my neighbors has diminished.
	NR2	I have less communication with my neighbors.
	NR3	My neighbors and I have become less helpful to each other.
	NR4	My trust in my neighbors has diminished.
Self-evaluation	SE1	In my opinion, the old residential community is a poor living environment and needs to be renovated.
	SE2	I think I am a socially responsible person.
	SE3	I think I will actively participate in safeguarding the interests of residents.
	SE4	I have my ideas and proposals for the regeneration of older residential communities.
Participation_Attitude	PA1	Existing engagement channels affect my ability to feed my views and opinions to decision-making authorities.
	PA2	Existing engagement channels have affected my ability to provide input and perspective to third-party organizations in society.
	PA3	When my feedback and opinions are not taken seriously, my trust in that department, organization, or institution decreases.
	PA4	I would accept participating in the renewal of an old residential community even if I was not paid accordingly.

3.4. Analysis Methods

The SEM is a multivariate analysis technique capable of data analysis and dealing with multiple dependent variables simultaneously. It is often used to analyze the direct structural or causal relationship between variables [87]. The SEM is widely used in sociological, psychological, and environmental studies [88,89]. It has also been used in surveys of public participation [24].

The data from the questionnaire collection was validated and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and Amos 26.0. The data derived from the observations were used to determine whether there was an effect between the variables. The reliability and validity of the structure were observed using composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach alpha. The CR calculation formula is shown in Equation (1), and it is generally recommended that the minimum CR should be greater than 0.60. The minimum Cronbach alpha should be greater than 0.6, with 0.7 or above indicating satisfactory. Validation of validity is followed by hypothesis-testing to verify that the proposed hypothesis meets the academic’s metrics [90]. In AMOS, we used the Maximum Likelihood for Discrepancy. The principle of maximum likelihood estimation is calculating the highest probability of generating an estimated parameter for the observed data based on a probability density function or mass function. It is calculated using the formula in Equation (2).

$$\begin{array}{l}CR={\left({\displaystyle \sum \lambda }\right)}^2/{\left({\displaystyle \sum \lambda }\right)}^2+{\displaystyle \sum \delta }\\ \end{array}$$

(1)

$$\begin{array}{l}L\left(\theta \right)={\displaystyle {\prod }_n^{i=1}}pX\left(x_i;\theta \right)\\ L\left(\theta \right)={\displaystyle {\prod }_n^{i=1}}fY\left(y_i;\theta \right)\end{array}$$

(2)

4. Results

4.1. Demographic Information

Data analysis of the collected questionnaires showed that out of 865 questionnaires, there were 414 males (47.86%) and 451 females (52.14%), slightly more females than males. Most subjects participating in the study were aged 20–64, and the relatively small proportion of subjects over 64 may be related to the fact that older people are less adept at using the internet. Specific demographic information is shown in

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of individual characteristics.

Variables	Items	Number and Percentage
Gender	Male	414 (47.86%)
	Female	451 (52.14%)
Age	<20	105 (12.14%)
	20–34	259 (29.94%)
	35–49	248 (28.67%)
	50–64	186 (21.5%)
	>64	67 (7.75%)
Education level	Primary school or below	70 (8.09%)
	Junior high school	182 (21.04%)
	High school	231 (26.71%)
	Junior college	202 (23.35%)
	Bachelor’s degree or above	180 (20.81%)
Working condition	Unemployment	60 (6.94%)
	In employment	638 (73.76%)
	Retired	52 (6.01%)
	Not in working stage	115 (13.29%)
Monthly income (CNY)	<2000	174 (20.12%)
	2000–3999	137 (15.84%)
	4000–5999	215 (24.86%)
	6000–7999	207 (23.93%)
	≥8000	132 (15.26%)
Location	North China	101 (11.68%)
	South China	119 (13.76%)
	East China	253 (29.25%)
	Southwest China	99 (11.45%)
	Northwest China	67 (7.75%)
	Northeast China	87 (10.06%)
	Central China	139 (16.07%)

. Information about the participants was clearly obtained, and the data met the research needs for further analysis.

4.2. Reliability and Validity Tests

Reliability and validity tests are basic tests to understand whether the questionnaire and the resulting data meet the standards of the research community, and whether the data are reliable and valid enough to be analyzed. The software used for this test was SPSS 26.0 and Amos 26.0 to test and analyze the data.

First, tests of applicability were conducted. The latent variables describing the factors influencing resident participation were tested for applicability by SPSS 26.0 by reducing the data set by principal components for the data. The KMO was 0. 874, and the χ2 statistic for the Bartlett sphere test had a probability of significance of 0. 000, indicating full compliance with the feasibility criteria for principal component analysis [24,91].

Second, principal component analysis was performed. Factors with eigenvalues greater than one were extracted using principal component analysis, and rotation was performed using varimax to remove the four common elements. The cumulative variance explained was 66.553%, which is over 60%. This indicates an adequate reflection of the raw data (

Table 3. Total variance explained.

Component	Initial Eigenvalue			Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings
	Total	Variance %	Cumulative %	Total	Variance %	Cumulative %
1	4.984	29.318	29.318	4.984	29.318	29.318
2	3.905	22.969	52.287	3.905	22.969	52.287
3	1.276	7.508	59.794	1.276	7.508	59.794
4	1.149	6.759	66.553	1.149	6.759	66.553

) [91].

Third, in this study, we used SPSS statistical software to have a reliability analysis to guarantee the credibility of the questionnaire. Following Cronbach’s alpha coefficient test, which is widely used in academia, the coefficients of the variables were tested to be greater than 0.7, indicating that the questionnaire had high reliability [67]. Finally, a model convergent validity test was performed to confirm the concurrent validity of the measurement model. The indicators PG2 and NR2 were removed to ensure good convergent validity as the all-dimensional Std. of PG2 and NR2 were too low to meet the criteria. Fornell and Larcker (1981) suggest that Std. for all indicators should be greater than 0.5 and significant, AVE should be greater than 0.5, and CR is recommended to be above 0.6 [92]. Hair (1997) considers a CR of 0.7 an acceptable threshold [93]. The test results are shown in

Table 4. Reliability and convergent validity analysis.

Variables	Indicators	Unstd.	S.E.	C.R.	p	Std.	SMC	CR	AVE	Cronbach’s α
Participation_Guarantee	PG1	1				0.696	0.484	0.758	0.512	0.754
	PG3	0.886	0.055	15.985	***	0.673	0.453
	PG4	1.153	0.068	17.047	***	0.773	0.598
Awareness_participation	AP1	1				0.774	0.599	0.783	0.546	0.779
	AP2	0.95	0.051	18.685	***	0.691	0.477
	AP3	0.956	0.048	20.048	***	0.750	0.563
Neighborhood_Relations	NR1	1				0.726	0.527	0.783	0.552	0.762
	NR3	0.701	0.044	16.053	***	0.599	0.359
	NR4	1.167	0.058	19.975	***	0.878	0.771
Self-evaluation	SE1	1				0.794	0.630	0.839	0.566	0.838
	SE2	0.945	0.043	21.831	***	0.743	0.552
	SE3	1.001	0.043	23.127	***	0.786	0.618
	SE4	0.857	0.043	19.819	***	0.681	0.464
Participation_Attitude	PA1	1				0.876	0.767	0.923	0.751	0.923
	PA2	0.934	0.028	33.534	***	0.856	0.733
	PA3	0.922	0.027	33.615	***	0.857	0.734
	PA4	0.985	0.028	35.024	***	0.877	0.769

Note: significant at *** p < 0.001.

, with all indicators above 0.5 and significant p-values, Composite Reliability above 0.7, and Average Variance Extracted greater than 0.5. The results all met the requirements of the academic community for the above indicators and demonstrated good convergent validity of the scale.

4.3. Hypotheses Testing

Amos is often used for structural equation modeling and path analysis, so Amos 26.0 was chosen to build the SEM and analyze it. The model of the influencing factors of resident participation in the renewal of old residential communities in China and the relevant data are shown in Figure 6, and the results of the model fit evaluation are shown in

Table 5. Results of the model fit evaluation.

Fit Indices	Measured Value	Suggested Value	Source	Conclusion
CMID/DF	3.251	If 1< χ2/df < 3, the model has a reduced fitting degree; If χ2/df > 5, the model needs to be modified	[24,94]	Supported
GFI	0.952	If >0.90, the data are ideal	[24,94]	Supported
AGFI	0.933	If >0.90, the data are ideal	[24,94]	Supported
CFI	0.966	If >0.90, the data are idea	[24,94]	Supported
TLI(NNFI)	0.958	If >0.90, the data are idea	[24,94]	Supported
RMSEA	0.051	If <0.05, the data is ideal; If <0.08, the data are acceptable	[24,94]	Supported
NFI	0.951	If >0.90, the data are idea	[24,94]	Supported

, which shows that all indicators met the relevant criteria.

The corresponding hypothesis test results are shown in

Table 6. Results of the hypotheses testing.

Hypothesis	Path Relationship	Unstd.	S.E.	C.R.	p	Std.(β)	r2	Hypothesis Testing
H1	PA←NR	0.730	0.047	15.432	***	0.621	0.386	Supported
H2	SE←AP	0.758	0.047	16.288	***	0.733	0.542	Supported
H3	SE←PA	0.072	0.029	2.522	*	0.107		Supported
H4	PG←SE	0.148	0.055	2.69	**	0.177	0.410	Supported
H5	PG←AP	0.400	0.062	6.487	***	0.461		Supported

Note: Significant at *** p < 0.001. Significant at ** p < 0.01. Significant at * p < 0.05.

, where H1 (β = 0.621; p < 0.001) is supported in the data and demonstrated a significant effect of NR on PA. The H2 (β = 0.733; p < 0.001) and H3 (β = 0.107; p < 0.05) proved that both AP and PA had a positive effect on SE, but AP had a more significant impact on SE than PA. The H4 (β = 0.177; p < 0.01) and H5 (β = 0.461; p < 0.001) proved that both SE and AP had a positive effect on PG, but AP had a more significant impact on PG than SE.

Mediation effects within the model were tested using the bootstrap method, and the number of bootstrap samples was set to 1000. The results are shown in

Table 7. Results of the mediation effect.

Hypothesis	Path	Indirect Effect	95% CI
			Lower	Upper
H6	AP-SE-PG	0.113	0.003	0.239

, with the path AP-SE-PG confidence interval of (0.003,0.239), not including 0, at the 95% confidence level. This indicated that the intermediary effect was validated and H6 was established.

4.4. Respondents’ Concerns and Perceptions about the Renewal of Old Residential Communities

Public concerns about the policy can, to some extent, influence policy and improve the quality of project implementation. This study investigated respondents’ concerns and perceptions about the renewal of old residential communities, with the specific questions shown in

Table 8. Respondents’ concerns and perceptions about the renewal of old residential communities.

Concerns and Awareness	1. Respondents’ concerns about choosing a new home. (Choose 3 items per person)
	2. Respondents’ concerns about existing problems in old residential communities. (Choose 3 items per person)
	3. The model of renewal that respondents consider most conducive to solving existing problems in old residential communities.
	4. Considerations for choosing question 3.

.

According to the survey, the top three concerns of respondents when choosing a new community were ecological environment, public safety, and traffic conditions, accounting for 31.79%, 30.98%, and 30.87%, respectively (Figure 7). The top three concerns of respondents about existing problems in old residential communities were traffic conditions, venue for activities, and public security, with 37.57%, 34.34%, and 33.29%, respectively (Figure 8).

The importance given to the ecological environment and traffic conditions was evident in respondents’ concerns when choosing a new community. As China’s economy develops and living standards improve, people prefer to live in an environment that makes them feel comfortable. Various studies in various countries have confirmed the benefits of an excellent ecological environment for human health and well-being [95,96,97]. Old residential communities often have unsatisfactory living environments, such as inadequate greenery, poor waste disposal facilities, and exposed pipes and cables. Traffic is an issue that every citizen living in the city has to consider. Large cities worldwide suffer from traffic congestion, with emerging large cities in developing countries suffering from severe congestion due to the rapid growth in population and private motor vehicles and the inadequacy of their existing infrastructure. Traffic conditions are not beneficial to either drivers or passengers, so people prefer a place with better access [98,99,100].

Traffic condition was the most severe concern among respondents about existing problems in old residential communities. This is also because the old residential communities were not planned at the time of construction to meet the needs of people today. The more senior communities are now in the old urban areas due to their early construction years, and with the urban development, the urban road network and public transport in the old urban areas are often less vast and more convenient than in the new urban areas. For example, roads in old residential communities are often narrower and more cluttered. As shown in Figure 9, a satellite map shows the high density of buildings in old residential communities in several different cities where the road network is not apparent. A safety hazard is when motor vehicles, non-motorized vehicles, and pedestrians are in traffic. The venue for activities is the second concern. The building density of senior communities is high, and it is not easy to provide more open space for residents. For example, there is no safe space for children, no room for sports for young people, and no space for leisure and socializing for older people.

Respondents valued public security in both surveys. China has always been widely praised for its policing. China has strict gun control and dangerous goods control measures, a comprehensive police surveillance system in the cities, and a government campaign against gangs. However, why was public security such a concern for respondents in the survey? We believe this is linked to a vicious case where the attack victim was a woman at a restaurant in Tangshan City on June 10, 2022 [101]. The malicious case sparked considerable concern in the Chinese internet, with surveillance footage of the restaurant circulating online, sparking outrage and anxiety among the public [102]. More than a hundred media outlets posted news about the case on social media Weibo, with more than 4 billion text views and over 4 million discussions about the case. The police caught the culprits quickly after they committed the crime and handed the case over to the court after the investigation was completed. The case was heard and sentenced by the court in September 2022 [103]. The internet survey was conducted in August 2022, and the research team believes that the impact of the incident raised concerns about public security.

In the survey on the most beneficial regeneration model to solve the existing problems of old residential communities, the research team found a low level of support for the wholesale demolition and redevelopment of old residential communities, with only 103 respondents (11.91%) indicating their support. Support for partial demolition and redevelopment and functional adaptation or restoration of problem areas was high, with 74.45% support from 644 respondents. Of the options for making these choices, 611 people (70.63%) considered the preservation of urban memory, the idea of green sustainability, and the continuity of neighborhoods. This is in line with the policy path and shows some concern and awareness among respondents about the regeneration of old residential communities.

5. Conclusions

The regeneration of old residential communities is reusing urban resources to obtain better results through integrating existing resources and less investment, and there must be many interests at stake [104]. The squatter phase is more about space production. The aspects that concern residents are often the compensation for demolition or the location and size of new housing, with residents having less say in the planning and concrete implementation stages [105]. The transition from spatial production to community building enters the renewal phase of old residential communities. Therefore, planning and design by experts on the part of the government alone may not be able to accurately address the painful and challenging issues that communities are currently facing [3]. No one knows more about these issues than the people who live in the community and whose voices deserve to be heard [106]. In the early stages of regenerating old residential communities, government departments need to organize professionals to go into the community and conduct a thorough and in-depth study of the actual needs. They should explore possible ways for residents to participate in the whole process of renovation and launch targeted mobilization activities in the community in advance to encourage their active participation.

In regards to resident engagement, this paper used an internet survey and built an SEM model to derive some factors influencing resident engagement. Our research complements the need for nationally oriented surveys of resident participation in China. The potential variables for this study could be used in a national and local survey. In the future, more targeted research can be done based on the influence of latent variables on each other. Neighborhood Relations (NR) positively affected Participatory Attitude (PA), with neighborhood rapport being more conducive to motivating residents’ attitudes toward participation. Awareness Participation (AP) positively impacted Self-evaluation (SE), with higher awareness of participation tending to result in more positive self-evaluation. Participation Attitude (PA) positively affected Self-evaluation (SE), and having a positive attitude towards participation tends to result in more positive self-evaluations. Self-evaluation (SE) positively impacted the Participation Guarantee (PG), and residents with better self-evaluation tend to be more actively involved in the participation guarantee. Awareness Participation (AP) positively impacted the Participation Guarantee (PG), as residents with a better awareness of participation are better able to invest in the participation guarantee and promote better participation. At the same time, Self-evaluation (SE) played a mediating role in Awareness Participation (AP) and Participation Guarantee (PG). This is something that has received little attention in previous studies. In future studies, more attention could be paid to the direct presence of mediating effects of different potential variables on each other.

The results of this study show that at this stage, residents in China have a certain degree of concern and awareness about the renewal of old residential communities and are also motivated to participate. However, the ways and means of organizing the participation of residents need to be further enhanced and optimized. The team believes there is a need for the government and grassroots self-government organizations, as well as design, planning, and construction parties, to work together to break down the barriers between the various levels. There is a need to establish an effective mechanism for smooth communication between multiple parties, and to facilitate the government and community residents to play an essential role in community regeneration and even in the urban regeneration planning level. If necessary, measures such as legislation can even be taken to increase the power of protection for residents’ participation. Long-term mechanisms can be established to facilitate communication between residents, the government, and other parties. This will go a long way toward rational governance and social harmony in the government. The model from the current study could be subject to further analytical studies by adding other potential variables. For example, from the government side, the design and planning side, and the construction side. We hope to expand the use of the model to enrich the study.

Admittedly, we are concerned that the regeneration of older communities is a comprehensive and complex issue. The government, residents, design planners, builders, and other parties are a part of this. Unfortunately, only a little research has been carried out in this area. Our questionnaire also revealed that the generation of residents’ attitudes or opinions is also related to other aspects. The level of public participation and enthusiasm is, of course, inseparably linked to these factors. For example, as mentioned earlier, a study in Singapore showed that residents were even willing to contribute to some public projects. This shows that the local people have a strong interest and confidence in the project and believe they can gain something from it. Design planning is also essential, and long-term sustainable planning and future-oriented designs are necessary. For example, design planning allows for future enhancements, just as some metro stations have underground space reserved for lines still in the conceptual stage when construction began. This avoids the need for redevelopment later. With a good design plan in place, construction is also crucial. Precise, efficient, and quality-assured work with minimal impact on residents is preferred. Sound laws, regulations, and open feedback channels will enhance public participation.

6. Limitations and Prospects

By putting regional distinctions aside and conducting a countrywide survey that offered more intuitive input on residents’ general ideas and feelings, this study adds to the body of knowledge on the factors influencing resident participation in the rejuvenation of old residential communities in China. Additionally, it offers guidance to the government in developing policies on public involvement and serves as a benchmark for subsequent academic research. This study primarily relied on surveys, which have constraints when collecting data from the senior population due to the pandemic and preventative and control programs. Once the effects of the epidemic and prevention and control measures have subsided, field trips and in-person interviews can be used to obtain more accurate data for a study on older persons. Other factors can also be investigated, such as the administrative efficiency of the government, the degree of legal perfection, the level of design and planning, or the degree of responsibility of the builder. In the future, we will focus on more aspects to produce scientific research and analysis for sustainable old residential community renewal and active citizen participation.