Institutional change logic of governance of left-behind households in the urban village reconstruction in Guangzhou

Development and stability constitute the fundamental logic of government governance decision-making. As a recurrent governance issue in the reconstruction of urban villages, the problem of left-behind households is not only associated with the redistribution of renovation benefits and the efficiency of implementation but also has the potential to escalate into political and social incidents that impact social stability. The institutional change of the governance of left-behind households problem reflects the change of local government governance decisions. Based on an analysis of the decision-making logic of local governments, an explanatory model for the institutional change in the governance of left-behind households is constructed to analyze the government decision-making logic, the design, and implementation of the institution for the governance of left-behind households in Guangzhou at various stages of urban village reconstruction since 2009. The study claims that: (1) The institutional change in the governance of left-behind households in urban villages in Guangzhou is a process where local governments continuously strike a balance between the development orientation of renovation implementation efficiency and government benefits and the stability orientation of maintaining local social stability, presenting distinct characteristics of gradual institutional change. (2) Guangzhou gradually explores the formal institutional experience of systematic and effective governance of left-behind households from three aspects: reducing the probability of left-behind households, attenuating the impact of left-behind households, and formulating compulsory measures, which holds reference significance for current megacities to actively and steadily advance urban village reconstruction and urban renewal institution construction.