Strategies for Sustainable Urban Renewal: Community-Scale GIS-Based Analysis for Densification Decision Making

China is gradually shifting towards more sustainable urban development, and the local governments are increasingly promoting social environmentally spatial planning practices. This article debates potential contradiction between goal of a constantly growing population limits to consumption land planned by this new direction development. The analysis focuses on wealthy city Suzhou in Yangtse River Delta region explores opportunities for densification residential areas as possible solution contradiction, already tested some Chinese cases use efficiency. research applies GIS-based identifies sites that can be efficiently redeveloped resettlement communities their low floor area ratio (FAR) obsolescent conditions, which do not correspond middle-class status residents region. investigates different options strategy frame policies renewal promoted recent years improving quality built environment.