Lei Xiangping

    lagon235@163.com

    MORE and more not-very-old buildings in China are being demolished, which has revealed some officials’ capriciousness in handling the issue of urban planning and city development.

    In the last two months, three landmark buildings still solid enough to continue their service were demolished. In Tianjin, a 210-meter-high apartment building, whose proprietors had just moved in, was leveled because the local government said the developer changed the building design halfway. In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, a 118-meter-high building finished in 1999 was demolished because the local government wanted to build a brand-new one on the same lot. In Zhengzhou, Henan Province, an overpass put into usage four years ago was demolished because it obstructed the construction of a metro project.

    These demolitions are just the tip of the iceberg. One report shows that nearly nine out of 10 demolished buildings in China were unnecessarily torn down, costing regional governments US$460 billion yuan (US$71 billion) annually.

    This is an appalling waste, but the problem behind this figure goes beyond money. Normally, when a building is demolished, it is either because it is no longer suitable for use or because it is a safety hazard.

    Nevertheless, the demolition of buildings in China more often happens because of the capriciousness of some officials than their bad quality or being near the end of their service life. The capriciousness of the powerful means that urban planning is always subject to change, to the likes or dislikes of some officials who hardly consult experts and take public opinions into account.

    Because of some officials’ capriciousness, almost half of the biggest square in Guangzhou built for the Asia Games for 800 million yuan in 2010 was demolished in 2014 for the construction of a new metro project. Responding to public criticism of waste, one local official said the demolition didn’t waste any money, but saved money and helped advance the metro project.

    One senior official with the Ministry of Housing of Urban-Rural Development once said China builds the largest number of new buildings in the world every year by consuming 40 percent of the world’s steel and cement. However, the average lifespan of Chinese buildings is less than 30 years. According to a Chinese law regarding civil architecture, important buildings and high-rise buildings should remain safe for use for 100 years, and ordinary buildings should stand for 50 to 100 years. The average service life of buildings in the U.K., France and the U.S., however, reaches 132 years, 85 years and 80 years, respectively.

    If these officials respect the law, some buildings could be able to escape the bulldozer. However, many officials are so fervent with building new things that when a city changes leaders, the city’s planning will change. No matter how a project has been scientifically planned by designers, it is the new leader who has the final say.

    Some officials prefer using demolishing and reconstructing buildings as a way to create GDP growth. They are ambitious for infrastructure investment, which surely will make their cities’ GDP data look better.

    Another reason why capricious officials demolish buildings is that these buildings are usually located on downtown areas, and the lots they are built on can bring higher profits. For some cash-thirsty governments, tearing down buildings and touting the lots can bring in large amounts of money, which might also benefit their own pockets.

    China has a civilization of some 5,000 years, but has few buildings over 50 years. Because limits have not been applied and the officials behind the orders face no consequences, more “young” buildings will be demolished unnecessarily in the future. Good urban planning requires long-term, consistent strategies but should start by holding capricious officials accountable.

    (The author is a News Desk editor with China Radio International.)