Abstract

This article discuss the process and the outcome of urban renewal in Shanghai, one of the major economic and population centers of China. The city has undergone a dramatic urban expansion and redevelopment of its downtown precinct since the 1990s. One of the internationally renowned projects, Xintiandi urban renewal, has become a new urban icon. The Xintiandi area, located in the neighborhood of Taipingqiao within the Luwan District of Shanghai, was developed according to a master plan with the goal of commercial development based on the conservation and utilization of a certain portion of traditional “Shikumen” style architecture, as well as a neighborhood layout known as “Linong.” The case study of Xintiandi redevelopment illustrates that the international architectural firms, media, and local forces are all part of the growth machine for urban renewal.