Chengwei Huang

Street market & vulnerable groups in Fuzhou

One year after the Chinese government began to support the street economy in the post-epidemic era, many government-organized street markets are nearly disappeared, but spontaneous street markets are still vibrant. This is because there is a strong link between the spontaneous street market and vulnerable groups in the city.

Qianyu street market in Fuzhou, which is located on the sidewalk of a low-speed road, is formed in between two supermarkets. The blur definition of the surrounding space promotes its increase, and the cheap housing in the surrounding urban village provides power for its formation. However, the continuous urban renewal will kill this street market due to the demolition of surrounding urban villages. This design focuses on reusing the nearby abandoned college, exploring a new module of the neighborhood and urban open space for the vulnerable group in the city to protect this street market and provide more employment opportunities for vulnerable groups.

The project reflects on China's rapid urbanization and adapts the landscape to the future urban development, exploring a new kind of urban space to show inclusiveness to vulnerable groups and multiple economic models in the city.