In 2021, "urban renewal" will be included in the government work report and five-year plan for the first time, and the importance of urban renewal will begin to rise to the national strategic level. In the process of urban development, Shanghai has been based on historical and cultural heritage, adapted to the form of development, optimized spatial allocation, and constantly introduced new policies to ensure the high-quality development of the city. In this issue, the series of reports of "Upward and New Salute to the Centennial Butterfly Change of Shanghai Style", we look back on the development process of Shanghai's urban renewal policy, explore the content related to urban renewal in this year's policy, and explore the development direction of Shanghai's urban renewal in the future.

Policy evolution: upward and new development iteration

Shanghai is the first super large city in the country to carry out urban renewal, and its earliest relevant policy is the Implementation Measures of the City on Revitalizing the Stock Industrial Land (Trial) in 2014. In 2015, Shanghai issued the Shanghai Urban Renewal Implementation Measures (HF [2015] No. 20). In the following years, relevant policies have also been introduced to optimize and supplement, such as the 2016 "12+X" Urban Renewal Action Plan, the 2017 Shanghai Urban Renewal Planning Land Implementation Rules, the 2018 Shanghai Old Housing Demolition and Reconstruction Project Implementation Management Measures Under the influence of these relevant policies, Shanghai has accumulated a large number of successful cases on the road of urban renewal and explored many operation models, which has a wide influence in the country.

On September 1, 2021, the Regulations of Shanghai on Urban Renewal officially came into effect. This regulation focuses on urban renewal, which is of great practical significance for Shanghai to accelerate the transformation of urban development mode, coordinate urban planning, construction and management, and promote the optimization and quality improvement of urban spatial structure. Since this year, the Shanghai Municipal and District Governments have also introduced many relevant policies to implement the important concept of "people build a people's city, people build a people's city for the people", and promote the upward and new grand blueprint "to a higher level".

Photo source: Shanghai Urban Laws and Regulations

On January 4, 2022, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government agreed to approve the planning of 10 central city units, including the Shanghai Huangpu District Unit Plan submitted by the Municipal Planning and Resources Bureau. In the planning of each central city unit, "urban renewal" has been mentioned frequently, and different directions and requirements have been formulated in combination with the actual situation of each district.

Unit planning: upward and new fine operation

Internationalization of urban renewal with a global perspective

Huangpu District has a global perspective in the Shanghai Huangpu District Unit Plan, positioning itself as the "core bearing area of global urban functions", and emphasized that it should promote urban renewal extensively, give priority to improving public services and public spaces, and establish a new model of high-quality life with the goal of improving people's sense of gain. At the same time, Huangpu District also plans to implement the strategy of activating historical resources, comprehensively promote the transformation of old areas and the protection of historical buildings, and strengthen cultural functions. We should encourage the innovation and activation of immovable cultural relics, promote the activation of historical resources, and promote the functional renewal of various regions with a wide range of historical spatial texture patterns and rich historical context elements. Under the overall spatial structure layout of "three belts, two axes and four clusters", Huangpu District has also divided into specific policy areas, based on the central activity area, covering key quality improvement policy areas, as well as specific policy areas with significant opportunities in both historical features and commercial retail strategies. Among them, the urban renewal of the specific policy area of the Bund has been specially proposed, emphasizing the importance and sensitivity of this area. It is necessary to study and formulate standards and specifications suitable for the Bund area.

Jing'an District is positioned as "Towards an Outstanding International Urban Area". It emphasizes that we should grasp the basic characteristics of the stock development, actively explore the gradual and sustainable organic renewal mode, and meet the spatial needs of the future development of the city with the renewal and utilization of the stock land. The Unit Plan of Jing'an District in Shanghai proposes to build an open block, explore to increase park green space through urban renewal, add public welfare and bottom line facilities, etc., and promote the space utilization to be intensive, compact, functional, low efficiency and high carbon. At the same time, the Unit Plan of Jing'an District in Shanghai mentions that it is necessary to promote urban renewal and orderly adjust the population distribution. Specifically, the central and northern living areas of Jing'an District will improve the quality of the residential environment and the per capita housing area through urban renewal, community micro renewal and other ways. The specific policy areas planned in Jing'an District include CAZ central activity area, innovation and creativity gathering area on both wings of Central, Daning regional center, Shibei regional center, TOD neighborhood and historical area. Among them, Jing'an regards Nanjing West Road area, Suhewan area and Shanghai Station area as the key areas of urban renewal, and provides distinctive development guidance for urban renewal according to the situation of different key areas.

Planning Map of Jing'an District Specific Policy Area

Photo source: Shanghai Jing'an District Unit Plan

 Xuhui has positioned itself as a "model urban area moving towards an outstanding global city" and proposed a spatial structure planning of "one core, two belts and three districts". Among them, Xuhui plans to build the central integration and renewal area among the "three zones" as a characteristic model area for urban renewal, and proposes to focus on building a linkage development pattern of resource interconnection, functional complementation and industrial interaction with the characteristics of "water green network and two wings coordination". At the same time, the specific policy areas planned by Xuhui include the central activity area (commercial activity area, cultural recreation activity area), historical features area and innovation function cluster area. In the central activity area, the Shanghai Xuhui District Unit Plan specifically mentions that a series of urban renewal in Xujiahui will be launched, focusing on the characteristic functions of "first store, first exhibition and first launch", and building a world-class business district of "Shanghai shopping", which provides clear policy guidance for urban renewal in Xuhui District.

Based on itself, the urban renewal is characterized

Changning District combines the urban renewal action plan of the old residential area, innovation park, historical block and slow traffic network to form an urban renewal paradigm with Changning characteristics, create a cultural card with fashionable charm, and shape the urban characteristics of the integration of "Shanghai style" and "international style". At the same time, Changning District will deepen the theme blocks of "Art Yuyuan", "Humanistic Xinhua", "Jingya Wuyi" and "Walking in Panyu" in combination with the promotion of urban renewal and the creation of a 15 minute cultural life circle, and build a featured street tourism project integrating the neighborhood center of the community and the public art space with the development concept of "artistic life and artistic life". The Unit Plan of Changning District of Shanghai specifically mentions the urban renewal of the original Tianshan Sewage Treatment Plant and its surrounding areas, encourages the promotion of facade greening construction, guides the long-term underground and semi underground municipal facilities to be reused and set up parks, increases the ecological space, and explores the ecological track of urban renewal.

Changning District Shangsheng New Institute

Photo source: Shanghai Changning District Unit Plan

Putuo District is positioned as a "transformation and development practice area" and a "livable, innovative and business friendly area". It has put forward a quality improvement strategy, focusing on improving public service facilities and promoting regional characteristics, emphasizing connotative development, and carried out in combination with urban renewal projects in Caoyang New Village Area, Huxi Workers' Cultural Palace Area, Central Bailian Area, etc. At the same time, the specific policy areas planned by Putuo include the public central area (urban sub center, regional center), other key areas and strategic reserved areas. Among other key areas, Putuo will guide the Globeport area to gather business, culture, creativity and tourism functions, enhance the mixed use of land functions, promote urban renewal along the Su River and on both sides of the inner ring, increase investment in high-level cultural and leisure facilities, and focus on supplementing public parks and green spaces.

In the overall planning strategy of Hongkou District, it is mentioned that the central functional area (advanced culture leading area) and the northern functional area (livable and innovative urban area) will improve the old housing problem and increase livability through urban renewal, community micro renewal and other ways, focusing on the aging transformation measures such as adding elevators; Increase open spaces such as public passages and courtyard greening and supporting community service facilities to improve the overall quality of life of the residential community. In terms of road system planning, Hongkou will further improve the regional branch road and public channel network and improve the quality of slow traffic space and regional traffic accessibility in combination with the construction of key areas such as the North Bund and urban renewal.

Yangpu District plans to form a spatial strategic division of "western core area+central upgrading area+eastern strategic area", and an overall spatial structure of "one core and one cohesion, two belts and four axes in series". In the central upgrading area, Yangpu proposed to break the bottleneck of central development, introduce new functions, improve supporting facilities, optimize the public environment, stimulate the vitality of old communities, improve the comprehensive quality of urban areas, and realize the strategic rise of central China through urban renewal strategies. In the eastern strategic development belt, it will accelerate the transformation and development of traditional manufacturing industry and urban renewal, further improve the industrial level and economic density, better promote the scientific allocation and rational flow of resource elements, become a characteristic compound waterfront area that focuses on carrying the functions of scientific and technological innovation, cultural creativity, research and development education, leisure and living, and create a strategic space for outstanding global urban industrial transformation and a demonstration area suitable for living and working, Out of the industrial track of urban renewal.

Strategic zoning guidance map of Yangpu District

Photo source: Shanghai Yangpu District Unit Plan

There are three central city unit plans in Pudong New Area: Lujiazui, Shanghai – World Expo Unit Plan, Zhangjiang, Shanghai – Pudong New Area Unit Plan, and Jinqiao – Waigaoqiao, Shanghai – Pudong New Area Unit Plan, which have been approved, but only Zhangjiang mentioned urban renewal. In the open space planning of Zhangjiang unit, the mode of "pocket park+innovative courtyard+third space" is proposed to encourage the use of small and micro space to create small urban open space in combination with urban renewal. In local areas that cannot be covered by community parks, open spaces are formed by combining street squares and green spaces.

The north and south regions (Baoshan District and Jinshan District) have valuable development space and are important industrial bearing areas of the city. The Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the North South Transformation and Development in June this year mentioned the contents related to the urban renewal of Baoshan District and Jinshan District, pointing out that the total amount and structure of land for the north-south transformation should be clarified, the mixed use of land functions should be promoted, the urban renewal should be implemented with high quality, and the land use efficiency should be comprehensively improved. At the same time, the construction of Wusong Innovation City is emphasized, and the land used by Baowu Group (except for the stock land supplement price of Baowu Group) is transferred to the urban renewal subject after joint collection and storage by the city and district. The remaining land of Wusong Innovation City is to explore the "Wusong Mode" of transformation and development driven by urban renewal, focus on building the demonstration area of transformation and development of old industrial bases and urban renewal, and constantly explore new modes of urban renewal.

Photo source: Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Multilateral efforts: upward and new optimization and improvement

In addition to the relevant policies of each district, each department also actively improves the policies for urban renewal in its own field. In February this year, the Shanghai Municipal Government issued the Notice on Revising the Administrative Measures of Shanghai for Expropriation and Resettlement of Housing, which guaranteed the demand for resettlement housing for major projects in the city, reconstruction of old urban areas, urban renewal, etc., and promoted the supply of land for expropriation and resettlement of housing on demand. The 14th Five Year Plan for Resource Conservation and Circular Economy Development in Shanghai issued in April and the Action Plan for Accelerating Economic Recovery and Revitalization in Shanghai issued in May mentioned the content related to urban renewal, which provides a direction for urban renewal at the macro level. In July this year, the Shanghai Municipal Government also issued the Notice of the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on the Establishment of the Shanghai Urban Renewal Leading Group, which set up a special leadership for Shanghai's urban renewal and better coordinated all parties to help Shanghai's urban renewal. In October, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued the Several Provisions on Administrative Mediation and Decision on Old Housing Renewal in Shanghai, which further clarified the scope of application, implementation subjects, mediation procedures, etc., and further supplemented and improved the problems encountered in the process of urban renewal.

In the process of building Shanghai into a world-class design city, urban renewal is also a part of it. It was mentioned in the main objectives of the Opinions on Building Shanghai into a World Class "City of Design" released in February this year that the design atmosphere will be strong by 2030. The sense of universal recognition of design has been significantly improved, sustainable development has been practiced in industrial innovation and urban renewal, people's livelihood has been improved in a better life and public services, and design ingenuity has been highlighted in streets, communities, parks and campuses. We will further combine urban renewal with the construction of the city of design, integrate design into the wave of urban renewal, create a dynamic urban space by design, improve the community environment, protect the urban texture and historical features, and help Shanghai to make a new century of progress.

Urban renewal is the continuous improvement and optimization adjustment of urban spatial form and urban function, which is a small-scale, gradual and sustainable organic renewal. In the new stage, Shanghai's urban renewal policies and related practices will also focus on the preservation, utilization and improvement of the stock, and take green and low-carbon development as the direction to strengthen the repair and transformation, protect the historical and cultural heritage, and gradually improve and optimize the urban functions, constantly promoting the high-quality development of the city.

Source: Tencent