In Shanghai, it is becoming increasingly common to see a 30-square-meter "scraps of space" in a neighborhood transformed into a year-round garden. But what is truly remarkable is when the designers are high school students, the decorations are sourced from everyday waste, and the newly created "community living room" also offers six spots for non-motorized vehicle charging and two for motor vehicle parking.

The "community garden" project in Zhoujia Community, Dinghai Road Sub-district has emerged as a prime example of how education can empower community governance. The interdisciplinary aesthetic education program of Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School has integrated insights from six academic fields into the renovation process. Guided by the principle of "minimum intervention", they have reconstructed the spaces where residents connect. Throughout this "micro-renewal" journey, the sub-district has always prioritized the voices and wishes of community residents, bringing the concept of co-construction and co-governance to life. Looking ahead, this "micro-intervention" approach is set to inspire more communities to follow suit.

Transforming Waste into Beauty: Innovative Solutions for Community Spaces

In front of Building 6 in Zhoujia Community, an underutilized patch of land has been repurposed into a "shared living room". Here, wooden benches offer comfort year-round, with warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Transparent canopies shield from rain while letting in natural light, white pebbles cover the flower beds for a clean aesthetic, and thoughtfully designed barrier-free ramps and anti-slip tiles ensure accessibility for all.

The garden's decorations are truly a sight to behold. Discarded plastic bottles have been repurposed in creative ways: their bottoms are painted with intricate Jiangnan window designs and alley brick textures, and then affixed to acrylic panels to form a stunning three-dimensional "mural" that plays with light and shadow. The bottle bodies are cut into pieces, shaped into curls with a heat tool, and strung together to create vibrant "wind chimes". Residents' household waste finds new life as distinctive "decorative panels" exuding industrial chic and vintage charm. The nameplate of the "Neighborly Courtyard" itself is a creative masterpiece, crafted from building blocks, buttons, and pipes.

What is truly remarkable is that this garden renovation has also addressed some longstanding community issues. "This corner used to be a mess, with non-motorized vehicles parked haphazardly and extension cords running everywhere for charging. It was both unsightly and unsafe," said Gu Weixing, Secretary of the General Party Branch of Jungong Road Residential Area. "But the students who designed the space were ingenious. They've added six new charging stations for non-motorized vehicles along the wall and freed up two parking spaces for cars at the entrance and exit. It's incredibly practical." Residents have also come together to "crowdfund" chairs and tea tables, creating a cozy spot where they can enjoy the sun and share stories.

Collaborative Problem-Solving and Autonomous Community Building

Zhoujia Community is a neighborhood built on the site of its former self, where residents, who had been neighbors for decades, found themselves without a place to chat after moving back into the public housing. Meanwhile, a 30-square-meter plot of land lay idle and eventually became a "neglected and messy corner". To tackle this issue, the sub-district implemented the concept of "whole-process people's democracy", ensuring that public opinions were always at the forefront of the "micro-renewal" efforts.

From the very start of the renovation project, the focus was on the question of "how to make the best use of the vacant space." The leadership of Jungong Road Residential Area, as part of the "Serving the Public" initiative, introduced the idea of "community-wide engagement in management". They brought the concerns and challenges that residents had to the forefront for open discussion. Residents themselves came forward with a variety of suggestions, such as adding more seating areas, installing handrails, repurposing waste recycling bins, and covering more of the flower beds with gravel to enhance both functionality and aesthetics.

To achieve this goal, the neighborhood committee brought together the property owner committee, the property management company, community volunteers, and other stakeholders for a series of democratic consultation meetings to evaluate the feasibility of various proposals. Through meticulous sorting, rigorous argumentation, and thorough research, they ultimately decided to transform the vacant land into the "Jungong Road Community Garden - Resident Discussion Hall". This innovative space features landscaped greenery, a wall promoting civic virtues, a dedicated corner for resident communication, and comfortable rest chairs, creating a multifunctional community-sharing living room where residents can deliberate, access services, and engage in activities. The establishment of the Resident Discussion Hall has not only enhanced community engagement but also fostered a collaborative community governance model, encouraging residents to jointly consult on strategies, discuss major issues, resolve difficulties, and handle practical matters together. By tapping into the "golden ideas and effective solutions" from community residents, the residential area has unlocked the key to transforming from an "ageing and shabby" neighborhood into a "small but beautiful" one.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood committee, building on the foundation of collaborative strategy discussions and problem-solving, harnessed local resources to advance the project. By adopting project-driven and commonweal approaches, the community foundation successfully mobilized the startup funds. Party members, key volunteers, and enthusiastic residents from the community spontaneously formed a self-governance team named the "Neighborhood Micro-Garden Dreamers", dedicated to ensuring the sooth progress and long-term upkeep of the project. They designed walls to promote civic virtues and enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of the community, pitched in to move clutter and dispose of waste, closely monitored the project's progress and quality, and took rotating shifts to ensure the smooth functioning of the Resident Discussion Hall. By engaging in every step of the project’s realization, residents have brought community self-governance to life.

High School Students Step Up, Putting Learning into Practice

With all the preparations in place, the next question was: Who would step up to design and renovate? Based on the long-term collaboration between Dinghai Road Sub-district and Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School, the sub-district reached out to the school, inviting its teachers and students to join the renovation project themed by "environmental protection and renewable resources".

This invitation offered a group of high school students born after 2005 a practice experience throughout the entire process, from conducting research and analysis to designing plans and applying outcomes. The project incorporated knowledge from six academic fields: history, fine arts, physics, biology, chemistry, and information technology. According to Wang Duyi, the project leader at Shanghai Senior Kongjiang High School, this was a first-of-its-kind initiative: "This is more than just a beautification project; it represents a significant leap in capability, from merely 'solving problems' to actually 'providing solutions'," Wang noted. "We moved away from the hypothetical cases typically found in traditional classrooms and centered our efforts on addressing real community needs.

The history and information technology teams launched an intensive research effort. Students scoured through community garden case studies from around the world, combined their findings with field visits and questionnaire analyses, and collaborated with the sub-district neighborhood committee to pinpoint residents' needs. "We even created 'user profiles' for residents across different age groups to make sure our design truly resonates with the community," said one student who participated in the research.

The fine arts team introduced the "versatile garden" concept, incorporating stepped educational walls, custom flower beds, translucent canopies, and weather-resistant wooden benches. Meanwhile, the physical engineering team designed 3D benches, with residents opting for the most robust and budget-friendly model.

In terms of sustainability, the biology and chemistry teams provided scientific backing. After testing the physical and chemical analyses of the soil, the students discovered that it had excessively high pH levels and was deficient in organic matters. Through comparative experiments, they suggested planting a combination of hydrangeas and sedum, known for their robust alkaline tolerance, and devised an integrated "rainwater collection-drip irrigation" system. To address the severely rusted railings, the chemistry team innovated by using a citric acid method to prevent strong acid pollution and prolong the life of metal components.

From Solving Problems and Providing Solutions: Embracing Social Responsibility

The students' problem-solving skills saw a significant boost throughout this process. Fan Yifei, a core member of garden decoration design on the fine arts team, recounted the challenges she faced. The twin constraints of budget and time initially left her feeling cornered: "Custom decorative materials were out of the question due to our limited funds. Hand carving, on the other hand, would have taken far too long, risking our deadline."

The turning point arrived during a routine school cleanup. As she watched discarded transparent plastic bottles refract beautiful patterns of light in the sun, an idea suddenly struck her. She rallied her team to collect over 300 abandoned plastic bottles, transforming them into "natural canvases" after a thorough cleaning and cutting process. At first, the idea of repurposing "trash" into decorations met was questioned by some residents. Yet, after the installations were unveiled, many were inspired to donate their own used bottles. The completed artwork, titled Light Collection, not only stayed within the 300-yuan budget but also became a powerful symbol of the community's commitment to environmental protection. The neighborhood's children were especially drawn to this unique "eco-friendly corner".

"Students must calculate the dimensions of the flower bed while also considering the slope of the adjacent accessible pathways. In beautifying the garden, they learned to balance artistic vision with community preferences, all within a tight budget. Through these experiences, they come to truly grasp the essence of 'social responsibility'", said Wang Duyi.

A Model of Professionalism and Dedication: Ready for Wider Adoption

The true significance of this initiative, however, extends beyond the immediate project. It bridges the gap between schools and communities, allowing students to immerse themselves in community life, listen to its history, and shift the paradigm of education from a one-way transmission to a co-creative process through rich and varied interactions.

Gu Weixing reminisced that the students visited the site at least five or six times while working on the design. They engaged with the residents with great patience, listened to their stories, and refined the plan repeatedly to meet their needs. "We initially doubted if the students could handle the small garden project effectively. But it turned out they were extremely committed and competent. Their notes were meticulously detailed, and they responded to every single resident's need. In fact, they were more accountable than many adult teams," he noted. He added that once the renovation was complete, residents from nearby communities flocked to see the garden and asked if their own neighborhoods could undergo similar transformations.

This "micro-intervention" renovation is not only affordable but also highly scalable, all while preserving the authentic, down-to-earth charm of the community. Its potential for widespread adoption in other neighborhoods is promising. Jungong Road Residential Area has implemented an innovative flight governance model featuring "one core, two wings, and multiple boosters". The "core" is the leadership of Party building. The "two wings" consist of the "triple engine" approach and grid management, which extend services all the way to individual buildings and floors. The "multiple boosters" include the integration of various forces such as building heads, grid officers, property management officers, community workers, volunteer teams, community groups, social organizations, and co-construction partners.

Moving forward, Dinghai Road Sub-district will expand on the successful practice from the community garden of Jungong Road Residential Area. It will fully utilize the "multi-grid integration" mechanism driven by Party building to integrate grid resources and pool governance efforts. The sub-district aims to guide all residential areas in achieving breakthroughs in community governance, particularly in property management, by tailoring solutions to local realities. Additionally, it plans to partner with Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School to create "Micro Urban Renewal Practice Base". By engaging community partners across different age groups, the sub-district will work towards building a home that embodies the exemplary leadership of Party building, precise community governance, heartfelt livelihood services, and harmonious neighborly relations.