While renovation of shanty towns remains a major issue for big cities, the Jinniu district of Chengdu, Sichuan province, has created a new model in shanty town renovation. It was awarded as a "model base" in social management innovation on July 27 at a meeting co-held by the National School of Administration and People.com.cn.

The new model, adopted in the renovation of the district's Caojiaxiang community, was awarded the "best case" in social management innovation.

The Caojiaxiang community is one of the poorest shanty towns in Chengdu. Most of the buildings in the area, built in the 1950s and 60s, have become too old and shabby to live in. Jinniu district decided to renovate the community at the request of local residents when the whole city initiated the "north renovation" in 2011.

Unlike normal renovation where the government arranges and decides everything, the renovation program in Caojiaxiang gave authority back to residents, making them the decision maker in the whole course of renovation.

The program was officially launched on July 15, after all 3,364 families signed the removal agreement. The successful experience has also been applied in the district's other "north renovation" programs. A total of 2 million square meters of old buildings have been torn down, and the 7,000 families involved will move into new apartments in the near future.