Older residential complexes represent the memory of urban development and pose a significant challenge for grassroots governance. This year, Lanzhou's Chengguan District has focused on addressing pressing issues in these older neighborhoods, such as aging infrastructure, poor environmental conditions, weak services, and inadequate management. The district is implementing a comprehensive three-pronged campaign focused on facility upgrades, environmental improvements, and governance enhancement. Through precise policy implementation, meticulous management, and multi-party co-governance, the district aims to tackle deep-rooted problems in these areas, transforming old courtyards in terms of aesthetics, quality, and service provision, thereby turning public welfare projects into initiatives that truly win the hearts of the people.
Upgrading Infrastructure to Address Critical Safety Gaps
"These new elevators are steady and fast, making rides safe for both the elderly and children!" Recently, in the Hailong Garden and Huafeng Mansion residential complexes in Yanbei Sub-district, brand-new elevators have been operating smoothly, earning high praise from residents. This is a vivid example of Chengguan District's targeted efforts to address infrastructure deficiencies in older neighborhoods. As the city has developed, many residential buildings in the district have been in service for over 15 years, leading to frequent issues such as aging and malfunctioning elevators, outdated heating pipelines, roof leaks, and damaged communal facilities. These problems not only degrade the living experience but also create multiple safety hazards, including risks from outdated special equipment and fire safety concerns, which are major worries for residents.
To tackle the pain points of renovating old facilities, various sub-districts in Chengguan District have conducted precise surveys and implemented targeted solutions. In Yanbei Sub-district, staff have visited communities to conduct on-site inspections of each aging elevator's operational status, frequency of malfunctions, and maintenance records. They have established dynamic records for each elevator, detailing specific renovation lists and construction timelines. The sub-district has also addressed challenges related to resident coordination and funding. By fostering regular communication among community organizations, property management, and residents, and by explaining renovation policies and cost-sharing plans, the district has utilized preferential policies for old residential area renovation. This has opened up multiple funding channels, including government subsidies, public maintenance funds, and resident contributions, to ensure the implementation of renovations.
"After the elevator upgrades are completed, they undergo professional inspection before being officially put into operation. The smart control systems, combined with safety features like emergency call buttons, real-time monitoring, and overload protection, make residents feel more secure when traveling," said An Deqiang, Deputy Director of the Yanbei Sub-district Office.
Simultaneously, Yanbei Sub-district has taken Xangangcheng residential complex as a pilot project to promote hardware facility improvements across the area. At the renovation site, corridors that were once marked by peeling walls and piled-up clutter are now smooth, white, clean, and well-lit. To date, the complex has completed the removal of old putty in 21 units, basic cleaning in 18 units, and full wall construction in 6 units. Roof waterproofing and reinforcement work has been fully completed, and outdated heating pipelines are being replaced in batches, addressing multiple shortcomings in residents' quality of life one by one.
Refining Environmental Management to Reshape Livable Communities
In the early morning at the Yipin Huafu residential complex in Hezheng West Street Community, lush greenery and orderly parking spaces create a scene where residents stroll and chat, and gateball enthusiasts practice their swings, presenting a harmonious and livable environment. Previously, this area was plagued by issues such as objects blocking fire lanes, haphazard parking of non-motorized vehicles, and poor maintenance of green spaces. The transformation from disorderly chaos to neat order is one of the tangible results of Chengguan District's comprehensive campaign to improve the environment in older residential areas.
Communities built long ago commonly suffer from weak environmental sanitation, poorly maintained public facilities, and chaotic parking. The Xinyue residential complex in Moujiazhuang East Community, built in 1984 with 931 households, was long troubled by problems like untimely garbage collection, broken streetlights, unsafe charging of electric vehicles via dangling wires, and blocked fire lanes. "In the past, the corridors were full of clutter, the streetlights didn't work at night, and parking blocked the roads. Living here was very frustrating," residents recalled when discussing the former state of affairs.
To fundamentally improve the environmental conditions of such communities, various sub-districts and community organizations in Chengguan District have collaborated with property management and volunteers to launch comprehensive environmental enhancement actions. In the Tielu Xicun Sub-district, efforts have been made in recent days to conduct thorough cleaning and rectification across 44 residential complexes, clearing clutter from corridors, sanitation blind spots, and dead branches and weeds from green belts, as well as repairing or replacing damaged streetlights, access control systems, surveillance cameras, and fitness equipment. Focusing on parking difficulties, the sub-district has scientifically marked parking spaces, designated no-parking zones for fire lanes, and added charging points for electric vehicles, while regularly addressing violations like unsafe charging and blocking emergency access routes.
In the Huacheng residential complex in Jiayuguan Road Sub-district, a once-troubled courtyard has also been revitalized. Due to frequent changes in property management, the complex long suffered from dirty and disorderly environmental conditions, blocked fire lanes, and aging infrastructure. Following targeted improvements, the property management has refined cleaning standards, increased the frequency of garbage collection, and established standardized temporary storage areas for construction waste, ensuring daily garbage removal. Additionally, damaged road surfaces have been repaired and corridor lighting replaced, addressing livability gaps in even the smallest details. Today, the complex features smooth roads, bright corridors, and a clean environment.
Deepening Multi-Party Co-Governance to Activate Grassroots Management
Hardware renovations refresh the appearance, while meticulous management fosters a sense of community warmth. Chengguan District adheres to the principle of combining renovation with governance and addressing both symptoms and root causes, moving beyond the misconception of "emphasizing renovation over management." By standardizing property management duties, establishing co-governance platforms, and optimizing convenience services, the district aims to transform older residential areas from achieving "temporary newness" to maintaining "long-term effectiveness."
Standardizing property supervision is key to improving governance. In response to issues like lack of transparency in public revenue and loose management in the Huacheng complex, Jiayuguan Road Sub-district has urged the property management to complete required filings, optimize its management structure, set up a dedicated account for public revenue, and regularly disclose details of income and expenses such as parking fees and venue rentals, proactively accepting oversight from residents to resolve their concerns about financial accountability. Tielu Xicun Sub-district has established a closed-loop management mechanism with a dedicated record for each residential complex. By collecting public feedback through household visits and on-site inspections and holding special deployment meetings, the sub-district holds property management companies accountable for inadequate rectification or non-compliant management, thereby compelling improvements in property services.
Regarding safety governance, various sub-districts are accurately addressing common challenges. To tackle the prominent issues of unsafe electric vehicle charging and fire hazards in older neighborhoods, many communities within the district have utilized idle spaces to create standardized centralized charging areas for electric vehicles, installing smart charging equipment and establishing vehicle registration records. Regular activities include clearing fire lane obstructions and conducting safety drills, unblocking emergency access routes, and adding warning signs, all to comprehensively strengthen residential safety defenses.
Governance with warmth brings comfort to people's lives. Beyond environmental and order improvements, Chengguan District focuses on the diverse needs of residents, extending the reach of convenience services. Relying on a tripartite coordination mechanism involving the sub-district, community, and property management, Tielu Xicun Sub-district has organized groups like calligraphy and painting clubs for the elderly and gateball teams, enriching the cultural and recreational lives of senior residents. It has also collaborated with medical institutions to implement integrated healthcare services, offering health lectures and home medical visits. Various residential complexes have set up convenience service corners equipped with first-aid kits, handcarts, and other supplies, and have installed building directory signs and temporary delivery areas for packages, thoughtfully addressing the small details of residents' daily lives.
Today, under regular awareness campaigns, an increasing number of residents, party members, and volunteers are actively participating in community upkeep, transforming from "bystanders" into "masters" of grassroots governance. The sub-districts are promptly summarizing their improvement experiences and solidifying long-term management mechanisms to prevent problems from recurring at their source.
The transformation is evident: from dilapidated facilities to well-equipped amenities, from chaotic environments to clean and livable spaces, and from lax management to orderly co-governance. It is reported that Chengguan District will continue to advance hardware renovations, service improvements, and governance efficiency in older residential areas, revitalizing the old urban districts and allowing the happiness of the people to take deep root in their hearts.