Backstreets are becoming front doors to change
Print Edition
Small alleyways off main avenues are usually stereotyped as boring, cluttered with the same old shops. Jing’an is out to change that concept.
This month, the district government released detailed plans to spruce up 11 backstreets that feed into bustling Nanjing Road W. Distinctive features for every one of them will be based on location, history and individual culture.
Jing’an has been working for years to turn Nanjing Road W. into the equivalent of the Champs-Elysees in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York or Oxford Street in London.
Today, the main drag has matured into that dream. It’s now time to develop backstreets, said District Director Lu Xiaodong.
He said Nanjing Road W. is so successful that it is well able to support a more dynamic environment on its periphery.
Backstreets are part of the city’s cultural DNA and an epitome of urban society and culture, according to Charles-Edouard Bouee, chief executive of German consulting firm Roland Berger, which helped the district draw up the Jing’an blueprint.
The backstreets will offer multiple experiences, create people-oriented public spaces and pioneer new retail concepts that echo global trends in urban development, said Jiang Hao, vice president of the firm’s China office.
He added: “They will not be the same old. Instead, they will feature the aspects of a desirable lifestyle.”
The layout of “Three Belts, Three Axes, Two streets” is the backbone of backstreet redevelopment.
The “Three belts” link Yuyuan and Nanyang roads and adjoining Fengxian Road with Wujiang Road, from west to east.
Yuyuan Road contains the former residences of famous people, traditional alleyway houses and garden villas. It will be renovated as a community of exquisite lifestyle, with dessert bars, book cafes and workshops conducting classes in painting, flower arrangement and the tea ceremony. Sculptures will be erected in public spaces.
Nanyang and Fengxian roads sit behind the established shopping malls of Westgate Mall, CITIC Square and Plaza 66.
This section will feature a scene that is young and trendy, with boutique shops, designer brands, vintage stores and popular eateries. Cherry trees will be planted along the roadside, enhanced by special-effects lighting.
‘Three Axes’
Wujiang Road, known as a food street, will embrace the latest retail trends by introducing self-service stores, pop-up stores and other crossover projects. It will feature innovative landscaping, including green roofs and graffiti on facades.
Shaanxi Road N., Jiangning Road and Tongren Road form the “Three Axes” in the blueprint.
Shaanxi Road N. will be home to local time-honored brands like Longfeng cheongsam. Haute couture stores, exhibition centers and workshops for visitors to view traditional Shanghai experience skills will round out the roadway. Heritage-listed buildings make the area ideal for strolls through history.
Jiangning Road, home to the historic Majestic Theater, the modern Yihai Theater and popular immersive theater McKinnon Hotel, will be redeveloped to rival New York’s Broadway or London’s West End.
Tongren Road, opposite the Jing’an Kerry Center, is set to be the home of high-end galleries, museums and auction houses.
The “Two Streets” in the redevelopment plan are Weihai and Xikang roads.
Weihai Road is home to local media giants like the Shanghai United Media Group and Shanghai Media Group, and to emerging industrial players such as co-working space pioneer WeWork. The street will be redeveloped as an incubator for digital media.
Xikang Road will be an international sports neighborhood, with the Jing’an Gymnasium, 24-hour self-service gyms, sports retailers and healthy-diet restaurants.
Taixing Road and Maoming Road N. are designated as popular nightlife areas, with entertainment venues like Zhangyuan 99 and Fengshengli — two popular hangouts for expats. Additional bars and restaurants serving international cuisine will be introduced.
Another two landmarks in the area are the legendary Paramount ballroom, cradle of Shanghai jazz, and the 800 Show, where Shanghai Fashion Week is held.
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