Abstract Residential space, as the most important integral part of urban space, is the closest space to human. Along with the acceleration of China's urbanization and the urban evolvement, people's lifestyle and values changed. So many problems and challenges are emerged in residential space. This paper aims to research on Chinese historical changes in residential space from the perspective of feminism. The rise of feminism makes the study of women extended to the field of architecture and planning. In fact, the discussion of gender differences always exists in the space. But the residential space planning and design are the out-appearance of power. Although women have the right to use, but there is no dominance. The relationship between women and residential space is not only a measure for women's self-development, but also a progress reflection of the residential space. From the feminist point of view, the paper divides city place into male and female temperament space, and explains women's relationship with the residential space which has female temperament. It explores the changes of women's behavior and statue role from a historical perspective. In the early primitive society, living space was a symbol of women's body shape; in the matriarchal society, there is the tradition that women occupied the dominant position of residential space; in the patriarchal clan society, women have become the accessory of living space and the orientation of the residential space represents gender level; in feudal society, living space is divided by standards of women's morality; in modern society, women have had to accept the existing settlement patterns which created by men. And the development of living space from the primary physical space to the right space to functional space. The historical changes of relation between women and residential space have a profound impact on three aspects of the residential space in today's China. First, the disadvantaged status of women makes residential planning depart from women's living desire. Second, China's historical tradition suppresses the feminist thinking of residential space. Third, under the influence of Chinese traditional settlement patterns, the support for women living system is lack. The paper establishes the basic framework of feminist residential space and cause great attention of the living space for women's thinking and behavior needs.
2010, Vol. 25 
