This study examines the complex dynamics of urban development and community transformation in Changzhou, a representative medium-sized city in the Sunan region of China. Distinct from the models of megacities, Changzhou’s urbanisation is deeply rooted in the unique ‘Sunan Model’. By investigating the evolution of residential communities – from traditional villages to modern urban neighbourhoods – this research highlights the resilience and persistence of rural social structures within a rapidly modernising urban context. The thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the critical transition period (1998–2008), focusing on the impact of housing reforms, the privatisation of township and village enterprises (TVEs) and the administrative integration of towns. Special attention is paid to housing communities developed by collective enterprises, which represent a hybrid form of urbanisation unique to the region. These spaces demonstrate how local cultural traditions and social networks actively negotiate with economic transformations and state policies, challenging the conventional narrative that urbanisation equates to simple ‘de-ruralisation’. By highlighting the disparity between the pace of land urbanisation and population integration, the study reveals how unique urban spaces – such as garage shops and mixed-use neighbourhoods – retain attributes of the traditional agricultural society. As China’s infrastructure boom slows, this research offers crucial insights for community regeneration. It argues that future urban planning must move beyond demolition, date and rigid structures, recognising the value of these indigenous social networks as ‘anchors’ for social integration and sustainable development in the post-developmentalist era, not just for China but also for the global south.

Lei (Freddie) Jiang is an ARB/RIBA architect and PhD candidate at the AA, supervised by Dr M.S. Giudici and P.V. Aureli. His research critiques the standardisation of Chinese urbanisation against collectively ‘anchored’ alternatives. He bridges professional practice on cultural, residential and commercial projects across the UK and Asia with grassroots research on high-density informality in China and Bangladesh. An MA (Edinburgh) and MArch (AA) graduate, he has taught at universities in China and the UK, and contributed to international exhibitions, notably the Venice Biennale.