China’s ‘nail houses’: thorn in urban developers’ side or victims of redevelopment?

China’s rapid development in recent decades has sparked several high-profile disputes between property owners and developers across the country. The term “nail house” refers to homes owned by those who resist eviction for urban development or property redevelopment projects. Developers named these seemingly defiant structures “nail houses” because they stick out like a nail from a piece of wood. The long-running conflict often makes headlines, with occupants portrayed as greedy for pursuing financial gain at the expense of a community’s modernisation. But behind the legal battles and sensational headlines, the issue also exposes a complex machinery behind China’s urban transformation.