Elevator Installations Guided by Residents in Chinese City

Residents of the Renhe District of the Liangjiang New Area in Chongqing, China, are leading successful efforts to have elevators installed in their multi-story buildings, with 253 new elevators installed in the district thus far, iChonqing reports. The source spotlighted a senior citizen who in 2021 began volunteering to lead community-level, self-governed groups bringing residents together to discuss their specific accessibility needs. In general, residents of lower floors are less willing to chip in financially for an elevator, but the senior volunteer was able to win one second-floor resident’s support by offering her elevator access to transport heavy goods. Normally, the elevator is accessed with keys held only by contributing households. In addition to resident fees, the elevators are funded by government subsidies and national bonds. The experience of residents of the Renhe District mirrors that of people across the country as the population ages, the source stated.