Balancing Order and Livelihood: Nanshan Combines Law-Based Regulation and Self-Governance in Street Vendor Management

On November 7, 2025, Nanshan District officially issued the Implementation Measures for the Designation and Management of Vending Sites in Nanshan District (Trial). The Measures uphold the principle of “regulated operations inside designated sites and prohibition outside designated sites in accordance with the law,” with a core strategy of “combining restriction with guidance, and giving equal weight to rule of law and self-governance.” The goal is to build a new order for street vending that is both orderly and vibrant. The Measures took effect on November 18, 2025, and will remain in force for three years.
How can urban order and livelihood vitality be balanced? The answer from Nanshan District’s urban management authority is to give the public a voice, put issues on the table, and turn management into service.
In the process of designating vending sites, subdistrict offices guide community residents’ committees to propose potential locations based on preliminary surveys. They then organize on-site research with relevant stakeholders and government departments, and solicit extensive feedback from nearby residents and shop owners. An initial plan is then submitted to the community residents’ council for deliberation and a vote. The Measures also include a “negative list” for site selection: areas such as both sides of expressways, urban expressways, and main roads; within 50 meters of metro entrances and exits; and within 200 meters of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and hospitals are prohibited from being designated as vending sites.
Regarding operational standards, the Measures require that every vendor entering a designated site sign a responsibility agreement with the site operator. The operator, in turn, must sign a tripartite responsibility agreement with the subdistrict office and the community residents’ committee to ensure day-to-day management. Before being allowed to enter, vendors go through a public lottery system to ensure fairness and transparency. During a visit by a Nandu research team to a vending site under a bridge in Xuefu Community, Mr. Sun, a vendor from Henan Province, shared his experience. After obtaining a vending spot through a community-organized public lottery, he has been operating there for more than five months. “From information registration to the community lottery, every step was clearly communicated. I feel reassured that I obtained my spot fairly,” said Mr. Sun.
Notably, Nanshan has introduced technological tools into vendor management. Using a “dual-intelligence hub” consisting of drone patrols and the “Fireworks Alley” urban order integrated management platform, law enforcement personnel can conduct aerial patrols and use smart cameras for real-time capture. Illegal road-occupying vending outside designated sites is instantly uploaded to the platform, allowing quick, targeted enforcement—detected and cleared without delay. Inside the designated sites, a “single map” displays vendor information, while an “all-in-one QR code” enables credential disclosure and complaint reporting. Citizens can scan the code to check a vendor’s health certificate and food safety test results, which not only gives consumers peace of mind but also pushes vendors to operate in compliance.
The urban management authority in Nanshan District takes a zero-tolerance stance toward illegal vending outside designated sites. “In the past, some people took chances, thinking they could get away with street vending as long as they dodged inspections. Now they know that vending outside designated areas will be caught every time, so they are willing to move to the regulated sites,” an enforcement officer said. Urban management, public security, transportation, and market regulation departments conduct regular joint operations, maintaining zero tolerance for off-site vending and resolutely preventing a situation where “regulated sites exist while disorder continues outside.”
Residents’ feedback is more direct. “Street vending used to be messy and noisy. Now the designated sites are well-regulated and clean. The vibrant street life is still there, but it’s more reassuring. I hope the strict enforcement against off-site vending continues, so the disorder doesn’t return,” said Zou Zhimiao, a local resident.