Ju’er Hutong Courtyard Housing Project, Beijing

The Ju’er Hutong Courtyard Housing Project in Beijing is a model for renewing historic neighbourhoods without destroying them. Instead of demolishing old courtyard houses, the project restores and improves them, keeping the 700-year-old hutong layout alive. Hutongs are traditional neighbourhoods of narrow lanes and small courtyards. Over time, many became overcrowded with temporary structures and lacked sunlight, ventilation, toilets, and drainage.
Led by Professor Wu Liangyong of Tsinghua University, the project began in 1987. It carefully replaces the worst buildings with new ones while restoring those that can be saved. The result is modern housing that meets the same density as high-rise buildings, but in a green, quiet, low-rise environment that keeps the community intact. Residents now have private outdoor spaces like small courtyards or rooftop terraces, and essential facilities like toilets and drainage are included in each home.
The renewal is also a financial and social experiment. Costs are shared between the local government, residents, and their workplaces. Existing residents get discounted prices to encourage them to stay, while any extra homes are sold at market rates to fund more projects. This approach challenges the old system where people expected free housing from the state.
Planning is done through close cooperation between residents, local authorities, and academics. A housing cooperative helps manage the neighbourhood, and residents are actively involved in decision-making.
The Ju’er Hutong project has completed 46 homes, with 80 more under construction, and plans for further expansion. It offers an affordable, community-focused alternative to high-rise redevelopment and is now considered a model for historic urban renewal in Beijing and other Chinese cities.