Research on the Regeneration of Urban Waterfront Industrial Zone Based on Place-Making——a Case Study of Yangpu Waterfront Public Space Development of Huangpu River in Shanghai, China

Xia Liu (Tongji University)

After the Shanghai World Expo 2010, a large number of industrial remains on both sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai are faced with regeneration. Place-making, as one of the most concerned topics of architects, is the concrete practice of materializing the spirit of place. In the practice of urban regeneration of Yangpu Riverside Public Space, industrial heritage remains as important material retention in the site and has become the starting point of the design.

The Yangpu waterfront is located at the eastern end of the Huangpu River coastline in Shanghai, China. It is known as the “East Gate” of the Shanghai waterfront zone. The 15.5km riverside coastline consists of a series of industrial heritage that has been well-known in Shanghai. Although Yangpu riverside is rich in industrial history, the city's appearance is relatively poor with the decline of traditional industries. It is also called "the only remaining industrial rust belt in the world" by UNESCO experts. The Yangpu Waterfront Public Space Development Project, which was fully opened at the end of 2017, brought life to this “industrial rust belt”. This paper summarizes the historical situation of Yangpu waterfront area.Taking the Yangpu Waterfront Public Space Development Project as an example, this paper analyzes the methods of place-making from four aspects: industrial heritage recycling, multi-dimensional transportation system renewal, the preservation of native plants based on Low Impact Development and the sponge city theory, and communication with surrounding plots. The development of Yangpu riverside zone can provide a reference for the revival of traditional industrial zones, and new strategies for the regeneration of urban waterfront space.