Assessing the Social Impacts of Urban Village Renewal on Inequality: A Case Study of Shenzhen

China's rapid urbanization has led to an increase in the number of urban villages, which have become an important but problematic part of cities. While these areas provide affordable housing for low-income people, they are often characterized by inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding, and inadequate social services. The significance of this study lies in its focus on the social impacts of urban village renewal, especially the impact of these projects on inequality. This study adopts a mixed method approach, including qualitative case studies, quantitative analysis, and policy analysis, with Shenzhen as the main case study. The study shows that while urban village reconstruction projects have brought potential benefits such as improved infrastructure and improved living standards, they have also caused problems such as displacement and increased living costs, thereby exacerbating social inequality. The conclusions drawn from this study emphasize the need for more equitable and inclusive urban village renewal policies. This study recommends policies and interventions that prioritize the needs of local marginalized groups to ensure that the benefits of urban village reconstruction are more widely shared. Moreover, the improvement of current policies is required. This study discusses the problems of urban village renewal and provides solutions for the formulation of more balanced and equitable urban development policies in the future.