Emerging paradigm in redressing the imbalanced “state-village” power relationship: How have rural gentrifiers bypassed institutional exclusion to influence rural planning processes?
以上海岑卜村规划修改事件为例，研究乡村绅士化者参与规划的动机、面临的制度排斥及绕过排斥的非正式渠道，发现其非正式参与能部分改变规划、促进可持续发展，并纠正传统自上而下决策的缺陷。
The imbalanced “state-village” power relationship persists amid modernisation and urbanisation processes, posing a threat to rural sustainable development. Nonetheless, the impact of newly arrived rural elites, such as gentrifiers, on this power dynamic has been largely overlooked. Drawing on a planning modification incident in Cenbu Village, Shanghai, this article examines the gentrifiers' motivations for planning participation, the institutional exclusion they faced, and the informal channels they adopted to circumvent the exclusion, through the lens of “empowerment” and “informal participation”. The findings reveal that the gentrifiers’ informal participation contributed to a partial alteration of the rural plan, directing the village on a path towards sustainable development. The involvement of gentrifiers also effectively redresses the deficiencies of the traditional top-down planning decision-making approach and signifies a shift in the “state-village” power relationship. These insights are crucial for managing complex relationships in rural governance and enhancing village planning participation systems. Furthermore, this article contributes a novel perspective on the multifaceted role of the gentrifiers in rural development, diverging from the negative stereotypes commonly observed in Western contexts. This understanding is instrumental in comprehending power dynamics and ameliorating any imbalances within rural gentrification. • The “state-village” power imbalance persists amid modernisation and urbanisation. • The role of gentrifiers in affecting the “state-village” power relationship is examined through a planning incident. • Gentrifiers, despite institutional exclusion, show enthusiasm in preserving the ecological environment and perceived rurality. • They sought various informal channels to circumvent exclusion and impact plan-making. • This article offers a novel perspective on the positive role of gentrifier class in rural development.