Public-led vs. Private-led: Policy Changes and Their Performances on Promoting Private Participation in Urban Renewal in Taiwan, China
Abstract：
Based on the promotion of private participation, this paper reviews the formulation changes and performance of urban renewal policies in Taiwan. Along with the policy changes, urban renewal in Taiwan has experienced a shift from public-led to private-led, and then to collaborative public-private partnerships. Now, Public-led renewal is re-emphasized in urban renewal involving public property rights and public interests. As for the performance of policy changes, Government has effectively mobilized private actors to participate in urban renewal through the transfer of planning rights, the marketization of public elements, and the endorsement of public credibility. These policies also expose the government to two long-term challenges: firstly, private actors prioritize their own interests in urban renewal projects, which do not match the government’s intentions, leading to fragmented and disorderly distribution of urban renewal projects. Secondly, private actors make excessive profits by using the government’s authorization, triggering social contradictions and conflicts, leading to the government’s credibility crisis. In terms of today’s results, marketisation of public resources has a positive effect on the promotion of private participation, while government regulation is also essential. Besides private-led urban renewal, government-led urban renewal is indispensable when public interests and public property rights are at stake. At last, this paper summarizes the experience that cities of Mainland cities can learn from Taiwan.