Actor relations and the institutional logic of Chinese urban space transformation: Based on a comparative study of the urban renewal cases

In the deepening stage of urbanization, China is inevitably undergoing urban space transformation. However, urban sprawl involves complex and diverse actors, such as governments at all levels, enterprises, landowners, local and non-local residents, who create significant challenges. Existing studies have employed concepts such as “growth alliances,”“growth machines,” and “governance alliances” to describe these actors; however, they have not yet established a clear theoretical framework or explained the internal mechanisms underlying urban space transformation. Through a comparative analysis of three typical urban renewal cases in southern China, this study identifies three core factors: capital flow, space value, and public service. These three factors shape the benefits, cost sharing, and cost-benefit balance among different actors in urban space transformation. The interplay among them influences the stability of actor relationships, thereby prompting urban governments to adopt differentiated space transformation policies. This article constructs an institutional logic of urban transformation from an active perspective and establishes a new framework for understanding urban government behavior, thereby facilitating a shift toward a “government-actor -space” model. This study concludes that promoting sustainable space transformation requires not only equitable benefit distribution, but also the provision of public services and the prevention of losses for vulnerable actors.