by Viriginie Arantes (ULB / FNRS / CNRS)

In collaboration with the LAMC

This lecture explores the evolving role of gated communities in Shanghai as spaces of both control and autonomy within China's urban governance system. By analyzing the transition from state-led urban planning to localized community governance, we examine how these enclosed neighborhoods function as sites of social organization, governance experimentation, and political regulation.

The discussion will address key themes such as the historical development of Shanghai’s urban fabric, the privatization of housing, and the rise of shequ (社区)—community organizations that increasingly mediate between residents and the state. We will explore how gated communities, once symbols of exclusivity, have become strategic sites for state control, particularly in the context of crisis management, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, these spaces foster forms of local governance, civic participation, and social negotiation that complicate simplistic narratives of authoritarianism.

By drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and case studies, this lecture will highlight the paradox of gated communities as both tools of autocratization and localized democratic enclaves. Ultimately, we will reflect on the broader implications of these dynamics for understanding the spatial politics of governance in contemporary China.

Virginie Arantes currently works as a post-doctoral researcher in a CNRS project on environmental challenges and ecological transition in contemporary China. She is the author of China's Green Consensus (Routledge, 2023), and co-editor of a recently published collection Rendre le vivant politique (Presses de l'ULB). Focusing on China's green authoritarianism and nationalism, her work has explored topics such as environmental NGOs or practices of ecotourism.

Thuesday 08 th of april 2025, from 2 pm to 4 pm

Salle P3.1.304
Batiment P3 - Niveau 1
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50
1000 Bruxelles

Free entry