---
type: "Topics"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/topics/40128389.md"
description: "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 HousingRepresentative 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 BuildingsRepresentative 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 HousingRepresentative 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)"
datetime: "2026-04-23T08:04:00.000Z"
locales:
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/topics/40128389.md)
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/topics/40128389.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/topics/40128389.md)
author: "[神眸](https://longbridge.com/en/profiles/14712864.md)"
---

# Chinese residential housing has evolved to its fou…