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Forward thinking in former concession area
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THE urban planning in the former French Concession may draw inspiration from the UK’S “Garden City” concept and America’s “Public Parks Movement.”
Zheng Zu’an, a scholar from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences says the former French Municipal Council strictly managed the concession in an effort to create a tranquil residential area with tree-lined streets and lush garden villas.
Ebenezer Howard’s “Garden City” concept, published at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, was all about solving the contradiction between industrialization and comfortable living. He defined a garden city as a town designed for both healthy living and industry with a surrounding rural belt.
The Public Parks Movement popular in major American cities like New York, Chicago and Boston was about expanding green spaces within the urban environment that had been harmed by industrialization.
According to the book “Shanghai Wukang Road,” Shanghai’s western district is composed of three parts — Huaihai Road (between Chongqing and Xiangyang Roads), Hengshan Road and the Wukang Road area.
The Huaihai Road area features mostly commercial buildings while the latter two areas are dotted with garden villas. While some are still homes, other villas are used for functions like scientific research, medicine and religion. This diversity adds life to the area without affecting the tranquility.
In the 1920s and 30s the city’s wealthy population had changed considerably from mostly traders in the 19th century to well-educated intellectuals such as doctors, lawyers, financiers, artists and scientists. They moved to Shanghai with their families as the city entered a golden era in the 1920s and ‘30s. They required a livable community rather than just a work place. The Wukang Road neighborhood met their demands.
Tongji University professor Sha Yongjie, chief architect for the Wukang Road regeneration project, says the street acts like a fish bone in the area. He says the street is also known for its oddly sized land plots, which meant architects had to be creative to maximize space.
He also finds it interesting that the bamboo fences that once surrounded many garden villas along Wukang Road contrasted with the architecture.
A photo dating from the 1860s or 1870s in the book “History of the Shanghai French Concession” may help explain.
Two well-dressed French families were enjoying a gathering in a country-style garden. The backdrop included a bamboo fence that acted as a wall and green plants arranged in a natural style. This photo was taken during the early days of the former French Concession. Sha and other scholars believe this photo is reminiscent of 19th century British landscape paintings, which often depict people at peace in a garden.
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