A Community for the Invisible: Aging within the Lilong in Shanghai

This project explores the potentials of traditional lilong* neighborhoods under demolition, that serves in response to a growing blended community of increasing aging population and non-registered inhabitants in Shanghai. By altering the typology and adding new public programs, the project preserves the opportunities for aging in place and the rights to dwell affordable in the heart of Shanghai.

Lilong*= Li + Long

"Li" = Neighbourhoods

"Long" = Lane/ Alley

1. Societal theme

Unaffordable city center: Impossible to age-in-place

Living in the center of large cities is increasingly costly today. Touristification in cities takes various formats. In China, the influencer economy disrupts the daily lives of local residents. Cities now features more tourists than locals, more shops than home. Noticeably, more young people than elders. For some, the city center is becoming hostile. The high speed of life, the homogeneous shops, are erasing the identity. Additionally, the architectural barriers are gradually pushing out the elderly.

Therefore, it is hard to claim a sense of ownership. This phenomenon is also happening in large cities in China, for example in Shanghai.

Shanghai city center 1970s Vs Current

Lilong: Development, Urban Morphology & Inhabitates

Lilong, an urban typology contains a dense aggregation of low-rise buildings, traditionally used to populate 50% in the center of Shanghai during 1940s, developed after the open trade in the 19th century to accommodate the increase of the immigrating workers.

Map illustrated the original locations and numbers of lilongs in center of Shanghai

It is a dense residential cluster occupying a whole urban lot. The buildings are deep and shallow, and they have a private patio in the front entrance. These dwellings are equipped with small kitchens, bedrooms and a living room, but not toilets. These are communal, and they are shared by the residents.

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1. Diagram illustrated the urban morphology of the Lilong(Street order)

2. Diagram illustrated the urban morphology of the Lilong(Functions)

The inhabitants of lilong have shifted throughout the years. Before the land reform in 1950s, the housing can be privately owned. Today, most owners are the second or third-generation heirs. More than half of the owners are elderly. And the rest of the inhabitants are families who rent their homes there without a Hukou. They are migrant workers.

Lilong offers them a cheap accommodation in the city center.

Hukou: the household register system in China, originally as a tool to control internal migration and manage resources. In large cities like Shanghai, hukou now can also be obtained through certain level of higher education. This registration determines the social warfare like healthcare, education and other social benefits.

Default Development Plan: Erased lilongs, Invisible social identity

The typology of lilong has started to be severely threaten in the end of the last century. Over this decade, there has been an increase in the demolition of lilongs and commercialization of developments to accelerate the modernization of city.

China's housing bubble burst after COVID, with Evergrande's 2021 collapse causing global economic ripples. In Beijing and Shanghai, regret grew over the loss of traditional typologies after demolitions.

But in the interim, the traditional architecture is fading in the fast-paced development. not only the physical identity of these places was erased. But also, its social identity, special life pattern created by the local and elder communities, are also invisible.

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Elderly owners were persuaded to sell their properties and relocate to more comfortable suburban homes, while non-hukou renters were displaced due to lack of ownership.

Failure of the Speculative Model

So we question:

Could then the Lilong become a typological tool against gentrification?
Could its preservation help not only keeping a traditional, affordable residential typology in the city center, but also a social diversity that’s increasingly lost in the cities around the world?

2. Site

Sanzai Li, Huangpu District, Shanghai, CN

Sanzai Li is a lilong neighborhood located in the Laoximen municipality, Huangpu district, in the heart of shanghai. It is adjacent to the Confucian Temple, with Yu Garden to the east. It offers convenient access to two metro lines within 1 kilometer. To the west is Xintiandi, a repurposed lilong-style retail area.

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Shanghai, the 2nd largest city in the county with a population of 25 million.

Laoximen Municipality, Huangpu district, the heart of shanghai

Satellite map of Sanzai Li

The neighbourhood has a population of around 2,100, with over 60% elderly owners. The remaining population consists mainly of non-hukou renters. The area faces the threat of demolition, with plans already taken in place for redevelopment into a high-rise complex.

Population & Ownership

There are dead ends in the lilongs caused by the complex circluation of narrow alleys and self-built structures by residents, which is hard for elders to navigate.

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Sanzai Li urban morphology

Dead end situation

There are 4 types of typologies in Sanzai Li.

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TYPE 1: the edge typology, the commercial one, the GF is usually for small business, the upper is residential, mostly populated with the non-hukou renters.

TYPE 2: old shikumen. Shikumen originally means stone gate. Usually, it is a decorated plate on the front gate. The patio, the kitchen and living room on the GF, shared by residents. 2 bedrooms are also on the GF the rest is at upper floor. At past it was for one household.

TYPE 3: new shikumen, ½ footprint of the old shikumen, only 1.5 bay. No bedrooms are located on GF.

TYPE 4: new type lilong. As a result of the shortage of construction land caused by the rural-urban migration during the 1970s, the layout of the new type is more compact also one floor higher than the other types.

3. Concept

If the current economic model has failed, what alternatives could be considered?

Under the present model, lilong neighbourhoods are being demolished and replaced with high-end apartments, leaving elderly residents unable to age in place, leading to the displacement.

With Laoximen property prices reaching 120,000 RMB/m², gentrification appears inevitable, leaving non-hukou residents with diminishing affordable housing options and uncertain accommodation prospects.

Default result

What if the owners united into a cooperative housing model, extend beyond their private, physical spaces, but the lilong as a whole?

Alternative development scenario

Alternative result

The elderly owners live in dwellings with limited domestic facilities, often leading to their isolation. The only shared amenity now is the public toilets, which are outside.

This lack of adequate, private facilities not only impacts their comfort but also highlights the need for better living conditions that support aging in place. The only activities that truly require solitude are sleeping and using the toilet. Everything else is better enjoyed in a community setting.

By sharing the entire lilong space with the community, domestic functions can be expanded, improved, and shared among residents. This concept fosters stronger social bonds and creates more efficient use of space, turning these dwellings into "houses of the commons."

The House of commons is divided into three categories: Community Activation, Sanitation Reform & Age Care Promotion. In total, 14 buildings dedicated to these functions, and the initiative can be partially managed by non-hukou renters.

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Urban morphology with current ownership

Urban morphology with propose CO-OP ownership

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The strategically placed Houses of commons ensure all residents are within a 5-minute walk of public programs and communal facilities, promoting elderly mobility, social engagement, and life expectancy. This sustainable model integrates non-hukou residents, fostering community vitality while generating funds by opening facilities to visitors and tourists.

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House of commons: No more than 5-min walk

House of commons: As a visual orientation for the elderly.

The financing model

4. Proposal

The proposal focuses on the transformation of the public space both internal and external, and the alteration of existing typologies.

Public space transformation

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1. Current condition

2. Demolition

3. Place house of commons

4. Eliminate patios

5. Turn patios to arcade for all-season shading

Resulting the public space: better accessibilty, all year round shade

6. Purpose the outdoor space

To establish the House of commons and improve accessibility, selected buildings are partially vacated or demolished while preserving their envelopes. House of commons are positioned in the designated locations. Patios are replaced with wider paths and arcades, enhancing year-round walkability. Outdoor spaces are redesigned with seating, shade, and exercise areas for elderly activity.

Plan 1:300

Typological correction

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Type 1: Two commercial buildings are modified by the group and increased by one additional level.

Type 2: Patios are transformed into arcades, with windows oriented towards the side paths to reduce noise from the main street and foot traffic passing through the arcades.

Type 3: Similar configuration implemented to the new shikumen, triple the inhabitants from 2 dwelling to 6 dwellings.

4. Type 4: Both patios are removed for new type ensuring better lighting and wider paths.

To achieve Lilong as a whole, the connection between interiors and exteriors is strengthened by introducing plazas and ensuring visual continuity throughout the space.

Plan zoom-in of the plaza surrounded by the bathhouse and communal canteen

During the summer, the folding windows at the soaking pool can be opened, allowing users to enjoy the pleasant weather.

Plan zoom-in of the plaza facing the leisure house

The House of Leisure faces a tree pod and outdoor seating area, allowing activities like chess to extend into the surrounding plaza.

Plan zoom-in of the activity house and its plaza

The door facing the plaza can be fully opened, and the nearby communal kitchen is visually connected, promoting a more active lifestyle.

Plan zoom-in of the daycare leisure house

The flooring texture is consistent, seamlessly extending from the interior to the exterior.

5. Phasing

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Phase 1: Densify the peripheral typologies by adding one additional level.

Phase 2: Empty the buildings intended for the House of Commons, preserving the exterior structures, and freeing up the ground floor. Temporarily house the residents in peripheral buildings.

Phase 3: . After renovations are complete, relocate the residents back to their original homes.

Phase 4: Convert patios into arcades to ensure a covered, walkable neighborhood year-round.

Phase 5: Stimulate the public space with terrazzo paving and designed landscape.

6. A day in Wangsheng´s life

Spend one day with Wangsheng in Sanzai Li

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Morning 7:30AM: After getting ready, Sheng strolls along the streets of lilong, enjoying the cool summer breeze.

9:00AM: He stops at the communal canteen, no need to cook himself. He starts his day with xiaolong bao while chatting with neighbors.

Afternnoon, 1:00PM: This time is usually reserved for activities. On Mondays, he attends singing rehearsals at the Activity House, but today he prefers to play ping pong with neighbors.

3:00PM: After a good match, he heads to the bathhouse to relax in the soaking tub and enjoys a massage from a non-hukou masseur.

Evening, 8:00PM: What’s better than a movie on a summer night? He spends two hours at the open-air cinema.

10:00 PM: After a fun movie night, he returns home and rests for the night.

Physical model 1:300

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