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Shanghai Urban Planning Center
and Tour
If you’re stunned by Shanghai today, go to see how it
will look in 2020. The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall is a
short walk across Renmin Square from the magnificent Shanghai Museum,
and is well worth a visit, far more interesting than its name suggests.
The centerpiece is an enormous scale model of the city centre that takes
an entire upper floor. It shows current and future development, and it’s
mind-boggling. There are raised walkways for viewing the model from
different angles, and the detail is fascinating, showing clearly what’s
planned, and what already exists. It’s also a very good introduction to
Shanghai, and
gives visitors an excellent perspective and introduction to the city.
The building itself is attractive, and includes space for temporary
exhibitions.
With five stories there is, of course, a great deal more to see than the
vast scale model. As you’d expect, it’s all very high-tech, with some
great displays, interactive exhibits and walk-throughs, complete with
sound, light and vision effects, illustrating different aspects of
Shanghai’s urban planning. The exhibits are detailed and thorough, and
provide a wealth of information on how the city’s planners see the
future. This huge and exuberant city has always done things a little
differently, and here too they are way ahead of the curve.
There’s a small model of inner Shanghai in the entrance, not to be
confused with its big brother upstairs. You’ll find shops, tea houses
and restaurants in the basement, presented as a reproduction of a 1930s
Shanghai street. Other floors house the displays, both passive and
hands-on: how the planners see the airport developing, the port, all
kinds of transport, including the magnetic levitation (maglev), subway,
and light-rail trains that are going to change the face of the city,
greening the city, leisure activities, managing the waterways and much
more. There are photos of colonial and contemporary Shanghai on the
mezzanine, which demonstrate just how far this city has come in a short
time, and a cafe and art gallery on the fifth floor. Temporary visiting
exhibitions vary in their content, including visiting international art
exhibitions, and there are also displays concerning the World Expo, due
in 2010.
City planning is a hot topic throughout the world, and the centre is
themed around "City, Human, Environment and Development", themes which
concern city dwellers from any country. The glimpse of present and
future Shanghai can provide much food for thought, as well as enjoyment
and a good overview of this often overwhelming city.
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