Spatial redistribution of aggregations: Lessons from Danwei communities under closed-off management

The temporary closed-off management of communities in China during COVID-19, while enhancing epidemic prevention resilience, has triggered significant shifts in the spatial distribution of internal gathering activities during alternating states of closure and openness. This mixed-methods study examines how emergency-responsive spatial measures reshaped aggregation patterns in two Beijing communities: Shuangyushu Beili and Shuangyushu Xili, addressing critical gap in understanding spatial adaptation mechanisms during urban emergencies in the Chinese context. The analysis framework encompasses three dimensions: spatial-systematic, supply-demand, and location-scale. The location-scale dimension revealed position-shifting tendencies, while the spatial-systematic dimension identified perimeter-to-interior activity patterns. The supply-demand analysis quantified peak-hour utilization patterns in pocket gardens. Results show that three spatial adaptation protocols—transitional buffering, tiered permeability, and adaptive reuse—redirected gathering activities from conventional housing-attached public spaces to community-scale venues, with notable congregation patterns at closed passage endpoints. By synthesizing cross-case evidence, this study elucidates how spatial disruptions influence aggregation patterns and their position-shifting mechanisms. Adaptive strategies are proposed for crisis-responsive communities, emphasizing micro-interaction spaces and dynamic zoning to optimize the balance between safety and accessibility. This research advances our understanding of urban spaces as both emergency buffers and social catalysts. The evidence-based framework provides planners with actionable tools to design adaptive environments that balance protective measures with essential social functions, contributing to more resilient urban communities globally. • under closed control, gathering activities have shifted from housing-attached public spaces to community-scale places, with residents kcongregating in pocket-like spaces at the ends of closed passages. • Traffic closure policies reshape urban space utilization by converting transit corridors into social gathering zones, demonstrating a pronounced “niche effect” where movement restrictions paradoxically expand public activity spaces. • In closed communities, gathering patterns show strong correlation with distance from traffic axes but weak association with entrance numbers, providing basic predictive value for spatial behavior despite limited quantitative interpretability. • This reallocation of spatial usage rights demonstrates the significance of spatial justice in crisis management.