6.3.2 Improving Social Governance
Social policy has a tremendous impact on the status of historic buildings and their surroundings.The damage caused by social disasters is sometimes far more serious than natural disasters.For example, disaster risks caused by political decisions have had great impact on the survival of architectural heritage sites.The Chinese Cultural Revolution is a typical social cultural disaster, while the ‘Four Olds’ movement destroyed a large number of cultural heritage sites.[18]In the 1990s, the negative social cultural phenomenon through careless urban development policies led to the destruction of Jinan’s old city area, including numerous historic personalities’ residences.
Entering the 21st century, Jinan has steadily grown into a larger metropolis with a complex social structure.Factors such as the large scale of development of a disorderly urban environment and the instability for social security, will present huge risks for historic areas, including personalities’ former residences and their cultural environment.Especially in the aspects of urban development and management, due to the lack of awareness of the protection of ancient city culture, decades of blind pursuit of modernization and urbanization have caused many areas of the ancient city to lose their traditional cultural characteristics.Modern architecture and environment have gradually replaced historical areas and ancient city street, eroding the historical environment that made Jinan unique.
Although the conflict between urbanization and historic personalities’ residences protection is inevitable, with an appropriate urban planning policy that places emphasis on these former residences, can alleviate the destruction of heritage sites and create an opportunity for the revitalization of these buildings in modern society.Therefore, government decision-making is the key to the protection and preservation of heritage sites.It is the fundamental preventive strategy, allowing the time to formulate an urban planning legislative framework that can properly consider heritage site protection.Focusing on the historical and cultural environments, formulating political policies, urban planning, and social security measures centering on historical protection are key factors in the sustainable development of historic personalities’ former residences.(https://www.daowen.com)
With the maturity of domestic and foreign heritage protection policies and legislation, the hidden value of Jinan’s ancient city and traditional culture has gradually gained attention.In 2002, the municipal government compiled the Spring City Characteristic Landscape Planning program.The relevant government departments began to investigate, maintain and restore the natural resources, historical blocks and architecture, the cultural relics of the ancient city, and began to carry out protection activities.In 2003, the Shandong Provincial Government Conference adopted the overall planning framework of Jinan: “Expanding Eastward, Extending Westward, controlling Southward, northward crossing the Yellow River, and evacuating the Central town”[19]The central town evacuation principle reflects the strategy of alleviating the pressure of urbanization and protection of the traditional cultural heritage of Jinan’s ancient town.In September 2014, the Jinan Municipal Planning Bureau compiled the Jinan Historical and Cultural City Protection Plan.However, the current regulations concerning residences of historic personalities is still carried out according to the protection standards of historical blocks and cultural relics, which lack the details and uniqueness necessary for the preservation and sustainable development of these famous residences.The establishment of a special protection regulation is essential to achieve complete protection of the historic personalities’ former residence.Furthermore, improving protection policies with the change of time and situation is a prerequisite to protect, use and sustain these famous houses into the future.To prepare for the changes of the future, the protection policies need to be dynamic, in effect “living document”.
Therefore, healthy social policies and governance are the basis for sustainable development of historic personalities’ residences.Meanwhile, historic areas are also “essential to the spiritual wellbeing of people for its powerful symbolic and aesthetic dimensions.”[20]The good condition of these cultural heritage sites can in turn play an active role in promoting social sustainability.These areas are “… based on shared values and interests, may foster mutual recognition, tolerance and respect among different communities, which is a precondition for a society’s peaceful development.”[21]The protection of historic personalities’ residences therefore bring a more stable environment to the community.It is the sustainable wisdom of these cultural environments that has formed the sustainable development of the society and has given people a sense of pleasure, pride and belonging, allowing an ability to naturally “… enhance the feeling of place and belonging, mutual respect for others and a sense of purpose and ability to maintain a common good, which contribute to the social cohesion of a community as well as to individual and collective freedom of choice and action… This is a fundamental component of human development.”[22]Without history and culture, it is difficult to imagine what kind of status the community would have.Through well-protected historic personalities’ residences, the community can have cleaner air and water, safe food, healthier services and more social resources, helping to alleviate regional poverty and inequalities.The implications for the wider community outweigh the direct costs for implementing policies that will produce benefits over the short, medium, and long term.
It is worth emphasizing that initiating the power of society by stimulating public participation is a key social factor for the continued protection of historic personalities’ residences.The improvements made to the overall quality of society would have a positive effect on the protection of these residences.The good condition of these residences also promotes the health and safe development of society, thereby satisfying people’s sense of belonging and happiness.In Jinan, formulating a sustainable social comprehensive security policy will improve social security, improve comprehensive quality, recognize historical culture and improve the sense of community.This can effectively prevent the destruction of historic personalities’ residences, help to consciously spread awareness of the historic personalities’ culture and the protection of their residences.