The transformation of the lilong form: a morphological study on changing boundaries

AbstractThe boundary, both as social norm and physical form, is an essential element in the development of the structure of urban form. This article explores the role of boundaries: (1) through the transformation of the lilong form in Shanghai by means of a case study of the Guizhou lilong block and (2) through the extension of the methodology of morphological study. In the urbanization of China, the lilong form tracks successive organizational shifts in society. Over one hundred years, the micro-scale changes of boundaries transformed the morphology of the Guizhou lilong block from a single-family residence to a mass housing block. Accordingly, the morphological study of the boundaries in Guizhou lilong block shows how its form was changed by changing regulations applied to it as well as its changing communities. This article uses two-dimensional drawings to investigate the change of boundaries over time extending the Conzen tradition and the understanding of how the social system defines the urban form. Consequently, this article makes an argument for understanding the effect on boundaries of both the conflict and the cooperation between the authorities and the inhabitants in a morphological study following the Conzen School.