Beijingers look to co-living as a tonic for the loneliness of the modern Chinese city
- Residents at co-living space Stey say they have found a sense of community and forged bonds with people from different social and occupational circles
Some young professionals in Beijing are taking to the co-living concept as a way to meet new people and recapture a sense of community living.
For many mainlanders, the co-living concept is reminiscent of the housing conditions of the 1990s when much of the urban housing stock was assigned by work units.
While much of that housing was considered ramshackle, it did provide a sense of community where it was common to know one’s neighbours. The blocks of high-rise flats that have risen across Chinese cities from the turn of the millennium have now come to be seen as providing less of a community experience for residents.
“China’s urbanisation and private property market created a shift from an ‘acquaintance society’ to a ‘stranger society’, but the latest fashion is to return to the ‘acquaintance society’, which is more in tune with human nature,” said Chai Qiang, a member of the China Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and Agents.
Chai cautioned the changes were gradual and that the co-living concept would remain a niche market for the foreseeable future.
For Evelyn Yu, a 32-year-old who works in a consultancy, co-living has meant new friends and a sense of neighbourhood living .
