Urban Design
Urban Planning
In its latest comprehensive plan, Shanghai aims to become an outstanding global city—one that is more vibrant and charismatic. Located in the heart of Huangpu District, the birthplace of Shanghai’s eclectic culture, the Beijing East Road area sits at the intersection of three iconic streets and a river: Beijing Road (known as the "Wall Street of the East"), the Bund financial cluster, Nanjing East Road’s commercial pedestrian street, and the Suzhou River. This area is set to become a benchmark for successful urban renewal in China, transforming into a national model for technological innovation and a landmark district for Shanghai’s distinctive creative culture—a core urban zone that best embodies the city’s historical heritage and modern vitality. Centered around the theme "South Suzhou River, Shanghai-Style Silicon Alley," the project implements a "Triple Strategy" of functional reinvention, historical restoration, and industrial revitalization to introduce emerging industries and enhance mixed-use development.
The Beijing East Road area is the cradle of Shanghai’s eclectic culture, home to the city’s earliest surviving Shikumen alleyways and a concentration of heritage buildings and protected historic blocks. Through this renewal plan, the area’s history is reinterpreted, enhancing the openness and connectivity of its traditional alleyways. Open spaces are introduced within narrow lanes, small plazas are added to bring commercial vibrancy, and contemporary cultural and creative elements are infused into the urban fabric.
Research-driven urban renewal will revive the architectural character of Shanghai’s golden age in the 1920s–30s while integrating 21st-century innovation, creating a Chinese exemplar of urban regeneration. The plan also restores the scenic landscape of the South Suzhou River, introducing art and creative industries to develop a welcoming and dynamic waterfront space befitting a global city.
Once a nationally renowned hub for hardware trading and a well-known distribution center for industrial products, Beijing East Road carries the collective memory of old Shanghai’s machinery and electrical procurement culture. Building on its legacy of precision machinery, this renewal plan transforms the area into a high-tech innovation hub for the new era, establishing a globally influential center for scientific and technological advancement.
Huangpu, Shanghai
2017–2018
1.6 km²
