Xintiandi

Xintiandi is a central historical district of Shanghai, located in the Taipingqiao neighborhood. The redevelopment project covered an area of two blocks spanning around 30,000 sqm and characterized by the present of ancient Shikumen buildings. The restoration of the two blocks is included within the redevelopment of the entire neighborhood under the 365 Program, covering an area of around 520,000 sqm. The 365 Program was a wider regeneration initiative started in 1992 by the Municipality of Shanghai which targeted the renovation of around 3,650,000 sqm of shanty houses across the entire city. Being an historical part of the city center, Xintiandi was largely inhabited by lower-middle income families living in traditional low-rising and low-density Shikumen buildings. However, as in several districts across the city, the old residential buildings were characterized by small housing units and extremely low living conditions, thus harming the wellbeing of their residents. Therefore, the site has been included in the wider redevelopment initiative of 365 Program to improve the living conditions of residents, preserve and conserve the historical trait of the neighborhood and to provide the city with a new commercial and entertainment district. The project started from the initiative of the District Government of Luwan, where Xintiandi is located, which directly contacted the private development company Shui On Land to redevelop the area of Xintiandi. The two entities worked together and appointed the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to develop the entire masterplan of the intervention. The masterplan was completed in 1996 and submitted for approval to the Urban Planning Administration Bureau of the Municipality of Shanghai. After its approval in 1997, Shui On Land and the District Government of Luwan signed an agreement to detail the area of the intervention and the conditions to receive development rights. Through this agreement supervised by the Municipality of Shanghai, Shui On Land paid a development fee to the Municipality and the District Government of Luwan in order to receive the development rights on the district site. The planning phase also saw the participation of the public company Fuxing Construction Development Company. The public company owned by the District Government of Luwan established a public-private partnership with Shui On Land to support the private company with the administrative paperwork and the approval processes from both the District Government of Luwan and the Municipality of Shanghai. The masterplan detailed the restoration intervention on the ancient buildings and the construction of new buildings hosting residential units, commercial activities and entertainment venues. The implementation phase of the redevelopment kicked off when the Municipality of Shanghai started issuing the permissions and land use changes to Shui On Land following the block-by-block land transfer and development detailed in the masterplan. Then, Shui On Land and the District Government of Luwan started the demolition and relocation of the existent residential buildings with a specialized company appointed by the District Government. The residents were offered to relocate in other districts of the city or were offered compensations to move back to Xintiandi after redevelopment. The construction and redevelopment work in the two blocks of Xintiandi started in 1999 and concluded in 2001. The intervention refurbished and renovated the traditional style buildings, which were converted into commercial and retail spaces, hotels, and residential units. In addition, the Initiative also constructed a new shopping mall to ensure stable profits for Shui On Land. The regeneration efforts were able to improve the living conditions of the district residents, ensuring the compliance with setback, fire hazard and sanitation requirements. With the aim to create a new commercial and entertainment district, the redevelopment of Xintiandi brought significant economic impacts for the local community. National and international businesses decided to relocate within the district, generating important employment opportunities and taxes paid to both the District Government and Municipality of Shanghai. In addition, the increased attractiveness and restoration of the ancient buildings increased the number of tourists incoming, with 30,000 daily visitors during holiday periods. Lastly, the redevelopment of the Xintiandi district became a model for the relocation and restoration of historical buildings followed by other city mayors across China. The success of the redevelopment project in transforming the area into a vibrant and economically thriving district has inspired other cities to adopt the Xintiandi development model, sparking significant redevelopment projects across the city and the country.