‘Urban village’ is a disappearing oxymoron

Urban village. It’s a contradiction in terms that’s being bulldozed out of government lexicon. Zhayin is the last officially designated “urban village” in Yangpu District, though it hardly looks like the stereotyped image of a quiet, idyllic spot. In fact, it’s a shantytown sitting in the shadows of skyscrapers, and it’s soon to be demolished.

Wu Xiaodi, 60, the Party secretary of the Shiguang neighborhood committee that has Zhayin under its jurisdiction, isn’t mourning its passing. He said he has long feared for the welfare of the more than 1,000 residents, most of whom were attracted to the village by its low rents.

“I can barely sleep at night every summer and winter for fear that the lowlying village might be flooded or that roofs will collapse under heavy snow,” Wu said.

“I’m happy for the villagers. Some of them are living in crammed quarters with no separate toilets or piped gas for cooking. With the demolition, they will be relocated to a better lifestyle.”

Beginning in 2014, the Shanghai government initiated an urban redevelopment program for 35 “urban villages” like Zhayin, under guidelines issued by the State Council, the nation’s cabinet, to eliminate shantytowns.

“It is a natural process for these villages to disappear in the wake of modern urbanization,” said Xue Liyong, a local historian and a senior researcher at Shanghai History Museum.

In the case of Zhayin Village, the government is paying cash subsidies to the owners of 354 parcels of land. Nearly all residents have agreed to relocate — most with great relish.

Once everyone is gone, bulldozers will begin tearing down the village, which is located near heavily trafficked Shiguang Road and is 2 kilometers from the bustling Wujiaochang commercial hub.

Urban redevelopment plans for the site haven’t been unveiled yet. When demolition of the “urban village” of Hongqi in Putuo District was completed last year, the area was turned into a greenbelt.

Zhayin Village came into being more than a half century ago as a home for farmers working surrounding farmland. It was once a beautiful rural watertown, with stone bridges crossing a small river, said Wu.

Under rapid urban development that began in the 1990s, the farmland disappeared and high-rise commercial buildings began encroaching on the village. Accommodation became increasingly cramped, along with a worsening environment.

About 10,000 square meters of residential buildings, mostly wood-and-brick structures built by the villagers, comprise the 8 remaining hectares of the village.

Most of the original residents have long gone, renting out their properties to migrants at a maximum of 500 yuan