Wang Yong had run a streetside stall to repair watches and make keys in Yangpu District of Shanghai for decades. Recently, the 54-year-old handyman moved his business to an indoor community business center nearby, putting an end to his days of working outdoors, braving the wind and rain.

"The environment here is much better with a stable customer flow. I only need to pay water and electricity and other miscellaneous fees, but no rent," Wang told Shanghai-based Jiefang Daily.

Many street vendors and handymen like Wang in Shanghai have been invited to run businesses in community workshops or stores supported by local governments and enterprises, in line with a national effort to build "15-minute convenient life circles."

A document released by 12 government departments including the Ministry of Commerce in July says that convenient life circles will be built with services available within 15 minutes' walk to satisfy residents' basic needs. The facilities encouraged include convenience stores, drug stores, and hair salons, as well as higher-end facilities such as cafés, pet stores and gyms.

"Normally, residential areas function as places for living. But with the '15-minute convenient life circles,' a residential area will serve as a micro-city where residents can access facilities to meet all of their most basic, day-to-day needs within a 15-minute walk from their home," said Li Feng, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land and Space Planning at the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Right at door

Shanghai has been working on building such convenient life circles for years. In 2016, the municipality released a series of policy documents, pledging to construct community service centers and ancillary facilities that can make residents' life more convenient.

Formerly a farmers' market, Qinhai Community Business Center in Yangpu where Wang works, has had a successful makeover. In the past, the market only sold groceries, while now the 1,300-square-meter area not only has a supermarket, but also facilities such as a gym, a flower store, restaurants,

bakeries, a children's entertainment ground and tailor shops, providing all kinds of services to residents nearby.

There is also a shared kitchen where families could cook together and share a meal in the public dining area. A meeting hall is also available for neighbors to get together.

"The clean and homey environment is an important reason for me to come here. I buy breakfast in the morning and get groceries after work here every day. I can get almost everything done here," Wang Xiaoyao, a resident living nearby, told Beijing Review.

According to Yushe Design, a company in charge of the architecture and interior design of the Qinhai Community Business Center, before it was built, services and facilities were insufficient and sporadic, barely meeting the needs of neighboring residents and surrounding schools, kindergartens and nursing homes.

Inspired by the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a masterpiece by artist Zhang Zeduan in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the center aims to build a service hub that can provide both convenience to people and bring them together.

Yuyuan Public Market is another community service center in Shanghai. Located in Changning District, the place not only has similar stores and services as Qinhai Community Business Center, but is also home to a community art gallery hosting various art exhibitions and community activities.

The artistic atmosphere and fashionable design attract many young residents, who become new customers for Zhao Yunbiao's tailor store that used to be frequented by frugal elderly who wanted to repair their clothes. "Some young customers brought expensive designer clothes and asked me to make them fit better, while some designers gave me their drawings and ask me to make the clothes accordingly," Zhao said.

With support from local authorities, the market is rent-free for small business owners and service providers. The elderly can enjoy special discounts at the elderly buffet by virtue of their elderly card or ID card. Besides, the supermarket provides free delivery services for the elderly in the neighborhood.

"In the past, during morning peak hours, I could always see some elderly in crowded buses, heading for supermarkets with their carts full of groceries. Now with more convenient life circles, they can enjoy shopping near their neighborhoods," Wang Xiaoyao said.

Intelligent services

Technology helps with the building of efficient 15-minute community circles in many ways. Recently, Fujian Province launched a WeChat applet where residents can search for the locations of stores and services near them online. In cooperation with banks and other financial institutions, the platform also provides discount coupons and promotional information.

At Dinghaiyuan Community in Beijing, unmanned vehicles are used to deliver goods ordered by customers online. Most people can get their orders within an hour from stores in the neighborhood.

At Caoyangxincun Sub-district in Shanghai, one of the municipality's most aged sub-districts, each senior is given a free smart speaker. If they fall sick or encounter an emergency, they can call for help and community staff in the neighborhood will come immediately. The staff can also deliver meals and medicine to the doorsteps of the elderly.

The sub-district has set up more than a dozen service centers, with each equipped with at least an elderly classroom, a clinic and a canteen that supports face recognition payment. Some centers have intelligent facilities with a big screen providing multiple functions like hailing taxis and ordering house cleaning and repairs.

"I don't need to travel long distance to get things done anymore. Having lunch, attending activities, and getting my medicine can all be done in the neighborhood. If I want to go out, I can just get a taxi through the big screen. Very convenient!" said Zhang Yuefang, a resident.

"Through technological empowerment and digital transformation, we are able to help these elderly people to bridge the digital divide and share the dividends of urban development in the digital age," Xu Chunhui, an official of Caoyangxincun Sub-district, told China Central Television.

Child care

During summer and winter breaks, taking care of children can be a headache for working parents. The demand for school break programs exceeds supply. In Changning, the issue is covered by its 15-minute community circle construction plan. The local government cooperates with schools in neighborhoods to share vacant classrooms for students in need. Also, various free programs for students are made available at community service centers like craft classes and art workshops, offering them a safe place to play and learn, thus enriching their vacation.

Chen Yisong is a college student of Yangzhou University. This summer, he and his schoolmates volunteered to stay with children at a care center at Wutang Community in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, to lend a helping hand.

"Staying at home can be very boring, while participating in community activities brings more friends and more fun," said Guo Xialing, a primary school student who attended Chen's class.

(Print Edition Title: Circles of Convenience)

Copyedited by Ryan Perkins

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