As one of the pioneers of urbanization in China, Beijing was among the first cities to install elevators in residential buildings. As of the end of November 2024, the city had approximately 155,000 residential elevators, with about 45,000 of them in service for over 15 years. Nearly 30% of the city’s elevators are aging, raising safety concerns as breakdowns become increasingly frequent. Guangqu Jiayuan, a residential compound in Dongcheng District, is a typical example of this problem. In search of solutions, Deputy District Mayor Su Hao conducted field visits to residents, and the TV program One Step Forward hosted a dialogue to explore the challenges of elevator renewal, focusing on government subsidies, blended financing model, and community governance.
A Close Look at Aging Elevators
Elevator issues in Guangqu Jiayuan are deeply entangled with poor property management, which has led to a deep distrust among residents toward the management company. Technicians from the Beijing Construction Engineering Quality No. 5 Testing & Inspection Institute presented detailed reports on six elevators in Unit 1 of Building 23 and Unit 1 of Building 11. The reports identified significant wear and aging in several components and recommended that the elevators be replaced.
Breaking the Deadlock with Policy Support
During the discussion on elevator renewal in Guangqu Jiayuan, representatives from the Dongcheng District Administration of State Land, Resources and Housing explained the national subsidy policy in detail: for residential elevators that have been in use for over 15 years and meet specific criteria, each unit may receive up to RMB 150,000 in state subsidies. This sparked a deeper conversation on the practical aspects of policy implementation. Residents asked questions about the funding structure and cost-sharing logic—why additional self-raised funds are still needed even with the national subsidy in place. They also explored how funding solutions should be tailored to the realities of each community, which reflects a strong desire to ensure accurate policy execution. Residents also engaged in thorough discussions on the roles that developers and property management companies should play in the elevator renewal process, approaching the issue from a shared-responsibility perspective. All parties, guided by the goal of problem-solving, worked together to explore how to coordinate resources effectively and clarify the boundaries of responsibility within the framework of existing policies. Their aim was to identify a balanced and widely accepted distribution of responsibilities, build consensus, and pool collective efforts to ensure the smooth progress of the elevator renewal project.
Diverse Stakeholders, Including an International Observer, Join Forces
Guests on the program repeatedly emphasized that the subsidy program is time-limited and urged residents to act promptly. Community members offered practical suggestions based on their lived experience. Some proposed that developers with partial property rights or companies running homestays in the buildings should assume their fair share of responsibility based on elevator usage. An international observer even volunteered to serve as an independent property service monitor, contributing professional oversight to the effort. Local government staff outlined the elevator renewal process in detail, helping residents understand each step clearly. The open and pragmatic exchanges between stakeholders are gradually building consensus and momentum for renewal. Together, they are sketching out a clear road map for replacing outdated elevators in Guangqu Jiayuan.
The five-hour discussion at Guangqu Jiayuan brought one of urban renewal’s core dilemmas into focus: striking a balance between strict policy enforcement and flexible benefit distribution. As Deputy Mayor Su Hao noted, “Elevator renewal is not just an engineering issue. It’s a matter of governance.” Through this platform for open dialogue, participants moved from policy clarification to responsibility allocation and plan refinement, gradually forming consensus. The process offers a valuable example of collaborative problem-solving in urban management and provides a replicable model for other communities facing similar challenges.
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