Waterfront renewal a shared story between London and Shanghai
Print Edition
THE second season of “Our Water: Flowing from Shanghai — Intercultural Dialogues Among World Cities” opened in London this month, bringing together waterfront cities for deeper exchange and collaboration.
Following the debut season’s dialogue between Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek and Paris’s Seine, this year’s initiative has set sail again — this time docking by the Thames in London and the River Cam in Cambridge.
Discussions center on creative industries, sustainable and zero-carbon waterfront development, and global partnerships.
The opening ceremony was held alongside the London Forum at Whitehall Place on June 10, the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations. At the event, London Deputy Mayor Howard Dawber, Liverpool Cabinet Member Nick Small and Jing’an District Deputy Director Yang Yi jointly released the “World-Class Waterfront Development Initiative.”
The initiative calls for closer China-UK collaboration to create sustainable, resilient and inclusive waterfronts, transforming them into dynamic urban ecosystems that blend ecology, economy and culture aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Waterfront renewal is a shared story.
London aims to make the Thames swimmable by 2034.
Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek — once heavily polluted — has undergone decades of restoration, reconnecting 42 kilometers of downtown riverfront. The 6.3-kilometer Jing’an section, known as Suhewan or Suhe Bay, has emerged as a key urban gathering spot, where paddleboarding and rowing now animate historic banks — much like Liverpool’s Dragon Boat Race.
To deepen the cooperation, the initiative encourages tighter networks between waterfront districts and promotes joint activities in commerce, finance, culture, tourism and exhibitions.
The goal: create places that are not only liveable, but globally connected.
Suhewan’s own transformation has made it a magnet for international business districts. In April 2024, it co-hosted the inaugural season of Our Water with Paris, linking up with La Défense. That October, the Global Business District Innovation Club (GBD Club) convened its summit in Suhewan, drawing participants from cities including Chicago, Casablanca and Frankfurt.
Michael Edwards, President and CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance, called the river-based model of dialogue “inspiring,” and expressed hope to join future editions of Our Water to exchange insight on business district development along urban rivers.
On June 11, Westminster College in Cambridge hosted “Forging Global Synergy: Cambridge Waterside Salon,” a highlight of the “Jing’an Moments Initiative.”
The event gathered Cambridge-based academic and industry leaders, representatives of Chinese multinationals and Jing’an service institutions to explore innovation-driven collaboration.
At the event, Jing’an named its first “Global Innovation Ecosystem Partners”: Bank of China London Branch and the Cambridge University Chinese Alumni Association. The partnership aims to mobilize global innovation networks, activate local platforms and accelerate cross-border resource flows.
Suhewan has fast become a hub of innovation. AstraZeneca’s China R&D hub and iCampus are now based there, driving advances in medical AI and global research partnerships. Beauty giant Yatsen, the parent company of Perfect Diary, also chose Suhewan for its first global R&D center, committing 3 percent of annual revenue to fuel its pipeline.
Professional services are rising in tandem. In finance, institutions like Bank of China’s London Branch help build cross-border channels. In legal services, firms such as Grandall Law and Han Kun have anchored major international deals.
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