Self-governance of condominiums in urban China: A strategic action field perspective

This paper investigates the impact of homeowners’ condominium self-governance on neighbourhood governance in urban China. The self-governance campaign, which advocates for the direct employment of property management personnel, signifies condominium owners’ endeavours to reassert control over their private living space against the intervention of the state and the exploitation of property management agents. Whilst self-governance is practised within specific walled neighbourhoods, homeowners’ efforts to amplify the influence of this campaign have brought it beyond the mere selection of a property management model. Employing the strategic action field approach, this paper identifies the key actors and specific forces that shape China’s condominium and neighbourhood governance. It also explores the potential political risks associated with the self-governance campaign and how it changes the power dynamics within the neighbourhood governance structure. The research findings not only illustrate the versatility of the strategic action field approach in analysing the various aspects of condominiums and private neighbourhood governance in urban China but also extend current understanding of the interplay among homeowners’ organisations, market agents and state actors and reveal relevant implications for neighbourhood governance in urban China. © Urban Studies Journal Limited 2024.