In today’s world of increasingly frequent global academic exchanges, visiting scholars are not only transmitters of knowledge but also bridges of culture and ideas.The “Distinguished Visiting Scholar Interviews” column documents their research journeys, academic reflections, and cross-cultural experiences through dialogue.Each conversation is a journey of the mind—it allows us to see the world’s diversity and to re-understand the unique contexts of Chinese cities and social transformation.We believe that the collision of ideas can illuminate the future of cities.May these interviews serve as bridges—linking China and the world, scholarship and reality.
— Program on Chinese Cities (PCC)
Introduction: Seeking the Long-Term Logic of Cities Between Renewal and Reflection
As the Director of Planning and Urban Design at Beijing Yirui Alliance Design Consulting Co., Ltd., Yu Wang has long been engaged in China’s urban renewal and planning design projects—from industrial new towns in Hainan to the renewal of Beijing’s old city and headquarters bases in Shenzhen. She has personally witnessed the high speed and complexity of China’s urbanization process.
In 2023, with the support of Professor Yan Song, she joined the Program on Chinese Cities (PCC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, embarking on a five-year visiting research journey. Her goal is to reexamine the differences and commonalities between urban renewal in China and abroad through systematic learning and comparative studies.
Through classes and field research at UNC, Wang gradually discovered that urban planning in the United States follows a “problem-driven, policy-response” mechanism—each urban crisis becomes an opportunity for institutional innovation; whereas China’s renewal processes often reflect a policy-driven and efficiency-oriented model. This contrast made her realize that genuine urban renewal is not merely a reconstruction of space but a reconfiguration of social mechanisms and modes of public participation.
Guided by Professor Song and the PCC team, she has integrated research with practice, visiting places across North Carolina’s Triangle region such as RTP, Durham, and Wilson, and publishing a series of essays titled “Yu’s Reflections on Renewal.” For her, this visiting journey is not only a process of relearning knowledge but also of renewing ways of thinking—an exploration shifting from efficiency to resilience, from projects to institutions.
Interview Transcript
Q: Could you introduce your academic and professional background?
A: My name is Yu Wang, and I am a visiting scholar with the Program on Chinese Cities at UNC. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1998, I went to study at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, where I worked and interned at my professor’s studio for about four to five years. After completing my degrees in architecture and urban planning, I returned to China and began my work in urban design and planning.
Since 2003, I have participated in numerous design competitions—from large-scale industrial new towns of several square kilometers in Hainan to industrial parks, residential communities, and university campuses across the country. Later, I joined the design institute of a real estate development company, where I was closely involved in project implementation, including tourism, commercial real estate, and urban renewal projects in Beijing and Shenzhen.
After the pandemic in 2023, project progress slowed, and I felt the need to recharge academically. Fortunately, I contacted Professor Yan Song from UNC’s Department of City and Regional Planning, who strongly supported my visiting application. I arrived in North Carolina in July 2023 to begin my five-year research program. It has now been two years, and I hope to continue reflecting on the differences between China and abroad through systematic learning.
Q: What urban renewal work have you been involved in within China?
A: In China, I have long been involved in urban renewal projects in both Beijing and Shenzhen.
In Beijing, my work mainly focused on the renewal and transformation of the city’s core areas, where the challenge lies in balancing historical preservation, population relocation, and functional transition. Renewal here is not just about physical reconstruction but also about readjusting social structures and functions.
In Shenzhen, I worked on projects such as industrial parks and headquarters bases, where I witnessed how a fast-growing city integrates policy guidance and market forces to promote industrial upgrading and functional transformation.
By contrast, Beijing emphasizes order and historical continuity, while Shenzhen focuses on efficiency and industrial orientation.
These experiences made me realize that urban renewal in China is typically policy-driven and large-scale, whereas public participation and gradual renewal remain relatively limited. This understanding gave me deeper insights when comparing Chinese and American cases during my stay in the U.S.
Q: What was your greatest takeaway during the early stage of your visiting research?
A: When I first arrived at UNC, I sat in on Professor Todd Bendor’s course on urban spatial structure and the history of urban planning in the United States, which left a deep impression on me. He explained that each time American urban planning encountered a bottleneck, new policies were introduced in response.
In other words, policy is both the product of urban evolution and a tool to solve specific historical problems.
For example:
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The urban expansion of the 1920s led to the birth of zoning laws;
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The urban decline and social movements of the 1960s prompted urban renewal policies;
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More recently, climate change has brought forth resilience planning and climate adaptation strategies.
This made me realize that the U.S. planning process does not fear problems—it treats them as opportunities for institutional and policy innovation. This “problem-driven, policy-response” mechanism is what enables American urban planning to continuously evolve.
Q: How did your article series “Yu’s Reflections on Renewal” begin?
A: It began when Professor Song organized a field trip for visiting scholars to the Research Triangle Park (RTP). The park is managed by a nonprofit organization and integrates mixed-use spaces through the HUB project, which made me rethink the transformation pathways of Chinese industrial parks.
Later, I began integrating class discussions, fieldwork, and case studies into a coherent series of essays.
Q: Which cases best represent the characteristics of American urban renewal?
A: I summarized five representative cases:
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Research Triangle Park (RTP): Demonstrates how nonprofit-led models and mixed-use development can drive innovation.
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Durham Public Hearing: Revealed that public participation here is a real negotiation process, not a formality.
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Wilson Micro-Transit: Proves that innovation doesn’t rely on huge investments—small, flexible models can also succeed.
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Fairfax Lake Project: Showed how U.S. developers use data-driven decision-making and adaptive reuse of former industrial parks for residential functions.
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Denver Golden Triangle (GTCD): Combines Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonuses with TIF financing to promote culture-led, incremental urban renewal.
Q: Having studied in Germany, practiced in China, and now visiting the U.S., how do you perceive these three different planning paradigms?
A: When studying in Germany, I was struck by the emphasis on public open space, deeply rooted in European urban traditions that value community interaction and human-scale design. The focus there is on protecting historical environments and maintaining neighborhood identity—renewal tends to be steady and cautious.
In contrast, urban planning in the U.S. emphasizes flexibility in tools and methods. Each developmental bottleneck is met with a new policy response—be it zoning, TIF financing, or resilience planning—forming a “problem-driven, policy-response” model.
In China, however, urban renewal is largely government-led, emphasizing efficiency and scale with fast-paced, large-scale projects.
Q: What insights do these comparative cases offer for China’s urban renewal practices?
A: The main difference lies in how problems are addressed.
The U.S. emphasizes finding new methods within problems;
China focuses on efficiency and large-scale implementation;
Germany prioritizes protection and gradual evolution.
For China’s future, it may be necessary to strengthen public participation and long-term planning, developing a model suited to its own context while maintaining developmental momentum.
Q: What are your future research directions?
A: I plan to continue studying representative American urban renewal projects. My upcoming fieldwork will include a visit to the Tobacco District in Winston-Salem.
Meanwhile, I aim to organize these cases and studies into a systematic body of work that can inform China’s efforts in urban renewal and resilient city development, contributing in my own way.
Q: Could you summarize your understanding of urban renewal in one sentence?
A: Urban renewal is a long-term developmental path—it requires innovation to propel it forward and community participation to sustain it.
Collection: “Yu’s Reflections on Renewal”
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The American Research Triangle Park through the Eyes of a Practitioner
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Successful Practice of Microtransit—Experience from Wilson, North Carolina
Conclusion
Yu Wang’s visiting experience is a profound intellectual reflection—an evolution from practice to thought.With over twenty years of experience in urban design, she has used the cross-cultural platform of UNC’s Program on Chinese Cities to reexamine both the speed and substance of urban renewal.From China’s efficiency and scale, to Germany’s stability and preservation, and the U.S.’s problem-driven institutional innovation, her research transforms “renewal” from a spatial concept into a rethinking of society and time.As Professor Yan Song advocates, true academic value lies in reflection and comparison.With sensitivity and resilience, Yu Wang has turned her professional experience into institutional insight—bringing a uniquely feminine warmth and enduring strength to urban research.Her journey also embodies the mission of PCC: to foster global scholarly dialogue and illuminate the future of cities through critical inquiry and thoughtful exchange.