Historical urban cores are sometimes valued and preserved simply by virtue of their age; a flimsy justification for holding onto something. Old European urban cores figured out long ago that historical urban cores should be preserved not as static representations of bygone areas but as living parts of a thriving and attractive central area.
With some recently passed central government edicts on avoiding large-scale demolition of urban cores - a policy which put many planned demolitions and redevelopments on hold - the trend will be more in line with Xiguan's experience for decades: preserving the core urban fabric while selectively upgrading parcels and pockets with attention to public space elements such as seating, lighting, and paving. The highrise tower to the north of the cache, built during 2008-2010, provides an excellent example of how a highrise can fit into the urban fabric without being gated and without detracting from the appeal and vibrancy of the alleyway of networks. The Urban Renewal Agency played their part in 2020, upgrading the alleyways and public spaces just north of the cache.
The immediate cache location is north of a large plot which has sat vacant for decades, after being intially cleared in the early 1990s.