The emerging peri-urban landscape of modern public rental housing towers in China: a case of Chongqing

This photo essay explores the impact of the rapid expansion of public rental housing in China on the peri-urban landscape. As China tries to cope with rapid urbanisation, public rental housing has become critical in the urban landscape, especially in the sub-urban areas of major cities. The paper criticises the design and planning practices that have resulted in uniform high-rise complexes. It highlights the mismatch between the quantitative achievements in housing provision and the qualitative aspects of urban living, pointing out the lack of human scale and cultural integration in these developments. The essay also features photographs that provide visual evidence of the emerging landscape, characterised by standardised and inaccessible spaces that prioritise regulatory compliance over resident well-being. It identifies a potential future crisis in social sustainability, drawing parallels with issues encountered in Western public rental housing. We argue for a shift towards a more human-centric approach, calling for planning reforms to prioritise cultural context, resident interaction, and community building.