Chen Yulin, Hao Sijia

Keywords： Basement; Urban Renewal; Informal Housing; Legalization; New York City

Abstract：

China’s megacities have long faced pressure on the supply of affordable housing due to population influx. As potential affordable living space, basement has not been effectively used due to poor physical condition and high security risk. After years of exploration, the government of New York City officially passed the revision of local building codes in 2019, and carried out the Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Project (BACPP) in East New York. This paper introduces its working process, implementation mechanism and key strategies of the legalization of underground space, and analyzes the specific measures of regulatory revisions, government loan support, and housing rent control. This study provides insights into inclusive governance of informal underground living space in China’s megacities.

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