Who has the final say in Guangzhou's development?

When demolition news hit Dongshankou, it made people realize that the streets and buildings they knew so well might soon disappear in the name of urban development. This kind of situation isn’t unique to Guangzhou—it happens in cities everywhere.

But when our everyday environment is at stake, how do we get involved? And does our participation really matter? Aster Li uses her story—and the work of her organization—to show us: when people step up and engage, participation does matter. It has power. As Director-General of CECA, Aster leads a team that works to increase public involvement by researching environmental impact assessments, urban planning, and related laws.Their work focuses especially on the coastal and marine ecosystems of the Pearl River Delta and the Bohai Bay area. What fascinates Aster most about the legal system is the idea of public participation.She believes public affairs shouldn’t be dictated from the top down. Instead, government and civil society should sit at the table together, guided by legal rules, engaging in fair, science-based, rational discussions to shape the policies that govern our shared spaces.