Chinese residential housing has evolved to its fourth generation, currently in the popularization phase of the fourth generation (2020 to present).

A Quick Look at the Four Generations of Housing (by product form)

• First Generation (1949–early 1990s): The Era of Welfare Public Housing

Representative types: Tube-shaped apartments, single-story houses, work-unit dormitories.

Characteristics: Shared kitchens and bathrooms, small area (10–15㎡), welfare housing allocation, no residential community facilities.

• Second Generation (1990–1998): The Era of Unit Buildings

Representative types: 6–8 story walk-up apartment buildings (no elevator).

Characteristics: Independent kitchen and bathroom, compact layouts, simple green spaces, beginning of commercialization.

• Third Generation (1998–2020): The Era of Elevator Commodity Housing

Representative types: High-rise / mid-rise elevator apartments, garden communities.

Characteristics: Large living room, small bedrooms, two bathrooms, pedestrian-vehicle separation, underground parking, well-established property management, high green coverage ratio.

• Fourth Generation (2020–present): Three-Dimensional Ecological Housing (Urban Forest Garden)

Representative types: Sky gardens, vertical greening, green smart communities.

Characteristics: Every household has a garden/balcony, every home has a courtyard, high-ceilinged balconies, smart home systems, low-carbon and environmentally friendly.

In a Nutshell

• 1.0 Solved the problem of having a place to live (Tube-shaped apartments)

• 2.0 Solved living independently (Unit buildings)

• 3.0 Solved living well (Elevator commodity housing)

• 4.0 Solves living healthily, ecologically, and intelligently (Sky garden housing)