4. The Maoist city (1949-78). In the aftermath of the 1949 revolution the national government set out to rebuild the cities in accordance with socialist ideology (see Chapter 8). Cities were to be transformed from consumer cities to producer cities.ื Industry came to dominate urban life, with newly developed urban areas shaped around new centres of industrial employment. The basic building block was the danwei (work unit), a walled compound containing a work- place, housing, social services and recreation facilities. New developments consisted of multiple cimwei laid out on a grid pattern. Older neighbourhoods were reorganised around the concept of neighbourhood units that functioned similarly to the danwei. As residents were assumed to have no great need to travel outwith their neighbourhood, 'unproductive' infra structure, such as transport developments, was limited in proportion to the size of the cities. In limited in proportion to thw size of the cities. In many chinese, a large paved space was created, (as in Beijing's Tiananrnen Square), to cater for mass rallies and ceremonies.