Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network - SW China

可持续和创意村研究网络将解决中国农村社区的一个新兴和重要的需求。这些社区直到最近才被排除在以城市为基础的发展之外，其结果是村民迁往城市，人口减少。这造成了基于年龄和性别的不平衡，也使许多建筑处于糟糕的修复状态。这种情况导致了艺术和手工艺知识和技能的丧失，而这些知识和技能是当地社区可持续发展的基础。之所以选择西南地区作为研究地点，是因为：该地区地处偏远，村庄众多；与环太平洋地区的东部省份相比，经济繁荣程度相对较低；以及那里未被充分利用的文化和民族多样性财富以及风景优美的地方。这些因素为发展和加强传统技能、乡土设计、创意艺术和工艺工业提供了一个诱人的机会，而不是必要的，以支持以村庄为基础的发展。中国城市人口向城市的迁移及其快速发展已经广为人知，从经济、环境和社会角度研究城市可持续发展的项目也很多。然而，即使计划增加人口的城市化，仍有大约6亿人将继续生活在农村和村庄地区。该网络将致力于这些地方未来的繁荣和可持续发展。为了实现这一目标，该网络将建立在中国的合作伙伴之间；英国项目团队的影响是促进、支持和鼓励。该网络的一个特别特点将是建立成熟的学术和非学术参与者与那些相对较新的参与者或位于较远（组织类型和地理位置）但具有关键的基于当地和技能的理解和经验的参与者之间的联系。2005年发布的《中华人民共和国第十一个五年规划》首次正式确认了加强农村和村庄发展的必要性，并在2015年制定的《第十三个五年规划》中进一步强调了这一点。从2016年和2017年英国项目小组最近的访问中可以清楚地看出，正在努力加快村庄的重建，但可能会产生意想不到的负面后果。这些问题的产生是由于以前报道的自上而下和自下而上的过程之间缺乏联系和相互理解。目前的再开发方法也存在新的风险，即工厂生产的人工制品和不合适的建筑技术被用作当地生产的正宗产品的替代品。然而，有一些乡村重建的好例子，也有大量的知识存在于专家的口袋里；当务之急是了解如何传播范例和专家的信息，以及如何研究未来的优化。在操作上有三个关键要素：首先是网络的建立；第二，在不同地点举行网络会议和公开讲习班活动；第三，通过网络的第二级传播和流通信息和成果，每个主要合作者将作为项目的一部分提供这些信息和成果。直接结果将再次以三种主要方式出现：首先是确定研究与发展需求和发展选择的优先次序；其次，从学术和非学术来源招标资金，以帮助处理网络所促进的必要的研究和发展；第三，出版产出。预计该网络将在最初供资期之后继续运作，以便在5至10年期间满足农村/村庄的需要。

The Sustainable and Creative Villages Research Network will address an emerging and important need in the village communities of China. These communities have until recently been left out of urban based development, with the consequence of depopulation as villagers move to cities. This has created age and gender based imbalances, as well as leaving many buildings in a poor state of repair. This situation has given rise to a loss of knowledge and skills in arts and crafts that would underpin local community sustainability.The choice of locus in Southwest China arises because of: the remoteness of the region and of many villages; the relative lack of economic prosperity compared to eastern provinces on the Pacific Rim; and the underutilised wealth of cultural and ethnic diversity and scenic locations present there. These factors provide an inviting opportunity, not to say necessity, to develop and reinforce traditional skills, vernacular design, and creative arts and craft industries to support village based development.The migration to cities in cities in China and their rapid development is already well-known and there have been numerous projects researching urban sustainability from economic, environmental and social perspectives. However even with the planned increasing urbanisation of the population, about 600 million people will continue to live in rural and village locations. It is towards the future prosperity and sustainable development of such places that this network will focus its efforts. In order to achieve this, the Network will be constructed to enable collaboration between China-based partners; with the influence of the UK Project Team being on facilitation, support and encouragement. A particular feature of the network will be the linkages between well-established academic and non-academic participants and those who are either relatively new participants or located more remotely (both organisational type and geographically) but who have key local and skills based understanding and experience to contribute.The need to enhance rural and village development was first officially recognised in the 11th 5 Year Plan of the Peoples Republic of China published in 2005 and this was reinforced by elements of the 13th 5 Year Plan set out in 2015. It is clear from recent visits made by the UK Project Team in 2016 and 2017 that efforts are being made to speed up village redevelopment but with potential for unintended negative consequences. These arise because of lack of linkages and mutual understandings between top-down and bottom-up processes that have previously been reported. There is also an emerging risk with current methods of redevelopment which sees factory produced artefacts and unsuitable building techniques being used as substitutes for locally produced authentic products.There are however some good examples of village redevelopment and also a wealth of knowledge existing in pockets of expertise; the urgent task is to understand how to disseminate information on exemplars and from experts, as well as how to research future optimisation. Operationally there are three key elements: firstly the establishment of the Network; secondly the holding of Network meetings and open workshop events in different locations; and thirdly the dissemination and circulation of information and outcomes through the second level of networking which each of the main collaborators will deliver as part of the project.Direct outcomes will again come in three main ways: firstly the identification and prioritisation of research and development needs and the options for development; secondly the bidding for funds from academic and non-academic sources to help deal with the necessary research and development facilitated by the Network; and thirdly the publication of outputs. The Network is expected to continue beyond the initial funding period so as to deal with rural/village needs over a 5-10 year period.