For centuries Hutongs have been the standard form of settlement for Chinese populations that moved from the countryside to the growing cities. The settlement combines the life values and organizational model of classic rural villages at high urban densities: three to four buildings around a courtyard housed bigger families together. Surrounded by walls, the Hutong guaranteed the classical intimacy of the family life within denser circumstances. It combined privacy with density and flexibility with organization. From its origins to today, hutongs evolved according to changing demands over time. In this era of ever further acceleration of globalisation and urban development, what are the new challenges and new opportunities for the hutong? And how can they be answered, to be able to evolve and adapt this organically grown urban fabric to current and future needs? 

 It demands a cultural, even political viewpoint on its development, which bridges the future with the past. No masterplan or grand design, but a strategy for development. What could be the principles for the rehabilitation process of Xianyoukou Hutong? What direction should be taken?

This development strategy can be implemented in a gradual manner. Step by step it can be realized, starting from a small courtyard, to plot-based interventions, gradually transforming and upgrading the area. By providing basic infrastructure and communal facilities, the government can play an important role in promoting further development. Private investors will bring diversity and a creative atmosphere to the area. A never ending process that is flexible for future demands.