Abstract: Space is not only the product, but also the carrier, of human activities. Its planning, construction and management, therefore, is not a one-way material production process, but bears a comprehensive attribute of more social reproduction. “Space justice, residents’ communication, social capital and space culture” play an important role in the transformation from “space activities to primary-level governance community”. How these elements “activate” in living space still needs to be analyzed by specific mechanisms. Spatial cohesion, this paper finds based on an analysis of the case of living space transformation in Chengdu, is the key mechanism for the formation of primary-level governance community. Spatial cohesion is a mechanism that takes space as a link and drives the participation of residents and all parties; it is a continuum from space production to community production. It, through “symbolic spatial symbols and rituals”, constructs the spatial context of residents’ interaction; it cultivates residents’ community awareness and autonomy habits through participatory transformation; and leverages and cultivates residents’ self-service and self-management through “local community self-organization”. The transformation of living space can become not only a symbol of residents’ participation, but also a connecting point to guide residents’ communication and participation.

Key words: space transformation, community, urban space, primary-level governance