Guest
Shi Yu
Interview Background
Urban renewal is vital for both livelihoods and development. The Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District focuses on six key areas: accelerating old neighborhood renovation, coordinating regional renewal, upgrading buildings, enhancing the quality of public spaces, revitalizing urban landscape, and improving renewal mechanisms. These efforts aim to drive high-quality growth, elevate living standards, and foster efficient governance, thereby paving the way for innovative urban renewal.
Host:
Hello everyone! Today, we are pleased to welcome Shi Yu, Director of the Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District. Welcome, Director Shi!
Shi Yu:
Thank you! Hello everyone!
Host:
Urban renewal is vital for both livelihoods and development. The Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District focuses on six key areas: accelerating old neighborhood renovation, coordinating regional renewal, upgrading buildings, enhancing the quality of public spaces, revitalizing urban landscape, and improving renewal mechanisms. These efforts aim to drive high-quality growth, elevate living standards, and foster efficient governance, thereby paving the way for innovative urban renewal. Could you elaborate on these initiatives?
Shi Yu:
Certainly. First, we have launched a pilot project to create a slow traffic demonstration zone along Suzhou Creek, aiming to create a vibrant waterfront space. Along both banks of Suzhou Creek, key measures include building new bridges, upgrading roads, enhancing the visual appeal of under-bridge spaces, relocating overhead lines to the underground, renovating the water-facing side of flood protection walls, connecting slow traffic routes, and optimizing transport networks. These steps ensure the Jing'an section of Suzhou Creek becomes a livable, work-friendly, and tourist-friendly area, and also a space rich in urban heritage.
Host:
We have noticed a spacious waterfront area along the north bank of Suzhou Creek, specifically at North Suzhou Road.
Shi Yu:
Yes. This segment is approximately 250 meters long. Before renovations, the significant height difference between the flood protection wall and the adjacent ground led to poor accessibility to the water. To address this, we lowered the first-level wall and set back the second-level wall. This not only meets flood prevention standards but also improves access to the waterfront. Together with the Shanghai Suhe MixC World project, we simultaneously upgrade road infrastructure and enhance public spaces to create an inviting area for water-based activities. The district has also launched a pilot project for a slow traffic demonstration zone in this district, utilizing underground, ground-level, and aerial corridors to establish a three-dimensional slow traffic network, thereby improving people’s experience in open waterfront public spaces. All municipal facilities, landscape lighting, landscaping, and sanitation in the North Suzhou Road public space have been integrated into a comprehensive maintenance management system to create a high-quality, attractive, and all-weather waterfront environment.
Host:
Director Shi, during the initial planning stage for urban micro-parks or streetscape greenery, what specific details should we incorporate?
Shi Yu:
Taking the Shanghai Suhe MixC World as an example. It tackles challenges such as limited land resources, insufficient public space, and the difficulty of preserving historical and cultural heritage in the riverside area by blending ecology, commerce, history, and modern living into a multi-layered urban space. Such a design makes it a new landmark in Jing'an District and a good model for urban renewal.
Host:
Beyond Suzhou Creek, Jing'an District has nine other riverways. What efforts are being made regarding these riverways?
Shi Yu:
For these rivers, Jing'an District's riverway office is prioritizing the improvement of weak areas in riverway management. We have leveraged intelligent and digital technology to enhance long-term effective maintenance management for riverways, earning the top ranking in riverway maintenance in the city for nine consecutive years. On the one hand, we are exploring a "human governance + intelligent governance" model (a hybrid governance model combining human oversight with smart technologies). Last September, we were the first in the city to introduce automated unmanned cleaning vessels, compensating for the inefficiencies of manual cleanup operations caused by discharge from city-managed pump stations.
Shi Yu:
On the other hand, we focus on community engagement to foster a collaborative and shared responsibility atmosphere while strengthening community self-governance. We have created the "Clear Water Protection" brand, established the CPC Service Center for Clear Water, and formed volunteer teams to carry out awareness activities such as World Water Day publicity campaigns, educational outreach, and volunteer training. These efforts encourage citizens to engage with their water environment, acquire water literacy, appreciate water culture, and participate in water management.
Host:
Thank you, Director Shi, for your insights. Could you share some highlights regarding historical and cultural preservation and urban renewal?
Shi Yu:
In the West Nanjing Road Business District, the historic Zhang Yuan, once celebrated as the "No.1 Garden on the Sea", holds a rich cultural heritage. As the city's first comprehensive urban renewal project in a historical and cultural block, Zhang Yuan actively implements the urban renewal philosophy of "preserving, renovating, and demolishing with a focus on preservation". We are executing a protective development project for Zhang Yuan.
Shi Yu:
Host:
What innovative measures have we taken for Zhang Yuan while preserving historical buildings in their original locations?
Shi Yu:
Under the principle of preserving historic buildings in their original locations, the protective development project for Zhang Yuan employs minimally impact techniques, including in-situ foundation underpinning and structural relocation, to maximize the protection of architectural heritage. This pioneering initiative sets a new benchmark for large-scale conservation of historical and cultural blocks and underground space renovation. By integrating with adjacent construction and renovation projects, it shares underground parking access, which effectively resolves the challenge of restricted garage entrances due to preservation requirements. This solution alleviates parking difficulties in the historical and cultural blocks and surrounding areas.
Shi Yu:
Upon completion, the project will seamlessly integrate above-ground and underground spaces, ensuring connectivity with neighboring office buildings and shopping centers, while promoting efficient land use in the densely populated urban core.
Host:
Thank you for your explanation. Now let's discuss the world's largest-diameter underground parking garage using vertical tunnel boring techniques. It is the first of its kind in Shanghai. Parking challenges are a pressing issue in Shanghai's central districts, requiring immediate solutions for residents.
Shi Yu:
We are maximizing parking resources. Regarding parking concerns in older residential communities, we are collaborating with housing authorities and sub-districts to optimize internal traffic flow and spatial layout. In addition, we focus on integrating unused parking resources. We actively engage with public parking facilities and on-street parking areas, establishing electronic contracts to share parking spaces through the "Shanghai Parking" application. Smart upgrades to on-street parking management, including night-time staggered parking options in video-monitored zones, will provide residents with affordable overnight parking.
Host:
What efforts have been made to address the inadequate land supply for parking facilities in Jing'an District?
Shi Yu:
Jing'an District has pioneered innovative solutions. The Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District, in collaboration with China Railway 15th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., innovatively utilizes deep underground spaces beneath urban parks. Utilizing prefabricated vertical shaft tunneling (shield) technology, alongside big data and AI, we have constructed an Efficient Underground Parking (EUP) facility. This offers an effective solution to parking difficulties. Compared to traditional parking garages, this approach maximizes space use, minimizes environmental impact, accelerates construction speed, enhances parking experiences, offers wide adaptability, and yields social benefits.
Host:
Shi Yu:
Indeed. Once completed, this project is expected to provide 304 parking spaces, significantly reducing parking challenges that have troubled residents for years. It opens new pathways for comprehensive parking management in large urban centers.
Host:
What are the next steps we will undertake?
Shi Yu:
As the lead unit for urban renewal, the Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District will thoroughly study and implement the principles of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. We will continue to focus on key sectors and areas in Jing'an District, accelerating urban renewal initiatives, advancing major construction projects, and enhancing urban maintenance and management capabilities.
Shi Yu:
Urban renewal demands systematic collaboration involving multiple dimensions and departments. Currently, the Construction Management Commission of Jing'an District is developing plans for 2025 and the 15th Five-Year Plan. We aim to unify municipal services such as water, electricity, and gas with other functions from the planning stage to coordinate project timelines. We seek to minimize the duration of public construction work and reduce disruptions to residents' daily lives and commutes. We commit to pursuing excellence and embracing innovation!
Host:
Thank you for sharing. This concludes today's interview. Thank you for your time.
Shi Yu:
Thank you all. Goodbye!