A distinctive commercial block serves as the "business card" that showcases the city's image. The construction and management of such blocks are focal points and challenges in grassroots work. Recently, a government delegation from Lankao County, Henan Province, visited Shanghai for an inspection, specifically targeting University Road block. Since the inception of University Road as a time-restricted pedestrian street earlier this year, several delegations from other provinces and cities have come to visit and study University Road block.

The Focal Point of Distinctive Features: University Road Block

During the reception and tour, representatives from various provinces and cities couldn't help but praise the charm of University Road block, especially impressed by the colorful and dazzling yet orderly street stalls. The most common inquiries revolved around the management of these street stalls: What are the strategies and methods employed? So, what is the secret "recipe" behind the management of University Road block's most distinctive feature—the street stalls?

The Challenging Puzzle of Management: University Road Block

In truth, the management of street stalls along University Road block has always posed a significant challenge. For a lengthy period, the criteria for setting up the stalls, including their size and arrangement methods, were rather ambiguous. Vendors would look to each other for cues, setting up a little more today and retracting a bit tomorrow. Similarly, the management department, lacking a clear direction in their routine management, often had to rely on subjective judgment and experience, feeling as though their efforts were not yielding substantial results.

The Painful Introspection of Diagnosing the Problem: University Road Block

Seizing the opportunity provided by the development of University Road as a time-restricted pedestrian street, the Wujiaochang Street Comprehensive Administrative Enforcement Team collaborated with various functional departments such as the street community business office, management office, public safety office, and others, along with the management entity of University Road block, SHUION Group. Together, they reflected on the core issues in managing the street stalls, seeking approaches and methods to solve these challenges.

After numerous rounds of on-site research and discussions with the merchants, the management department and business enterprises reached a consensus. The merchants expressed their willingness to comply with management, but often lacked clarity on how to set up their stalls. Similarly, the management department was eager to determine standards for regulating the stalls. Thus, the key to solving the problem was to establish a set of reliable, practical, and applicable management standards for the street stalls.

As an ancient saying goes, "Establish good laws for the world, and the world will be in order." Similarly, "Establish good laws for a place, and will that place not be in order?" In today's society, with its diverse governance and multiple stakeholders, relying solely on laws and regulations or departmental rules may not be fully applicable or compatible with the diversified environment of University Road block. Specifically, the finer details at the end of the management chain require collective wisdom and efforts to embody the concept of collaborative governance. Hence, in formulating the management standards for the street stalls of University Road, a genuine breakthrough was made, transcending the traditional barriers between management departments and those being managed.

The Wujiaochang Street Comprehensive Administrative Enforcement Team, along with various management departments, local property management, and block merchants, conducted round after round of field research. They conducted in-depth measurements and assessments of the area allocated for street stalls along the block, reviewed and summarized the current setup, and, combining daily management experience with the digital construction of University Road block, solicited opinions from multiple parties. After several rounds of discussions and revisions, the "University Road Block Street Stall Management Standards" (hereinafter referred to as "Management Standards") were finally established.

Long-awaited Diagnosis and Prescription: University Road Block

This document, clarifying the responsibilities of each department and fully leveraging the synergy between governance and execution, serves as a "covenant" for all street-side businesses on University Road setting up external stalls. Let's delve into the exclusive ingredients of this eagerly anticipated standard:

"What Size Can I Set Up?" Tailoring to Local Conditions, Clarifying External Stall Area Standards

Given the complex topography of the University Road block, which encompasses two main thoroughfares, University Road and Zhixing Road, along with numerous auxiliary roads including Jinjian Road, Jinchuang Road, Weide Road, Weicheng Road, and Zhengxue Road, each with its distinct conditions. After multiple rounds of on-site measurements and evaluations, the "Management Standards" precisely calculate the setup area and zone for external stalls on each section of the block. Combining graphical data, these standards specify the setup of external stalls, ensuring a tailored solution for each road and a unique standard for each spot, allowing merchants to know exactly where and how big their external stalls should be.

"How Should I Set Up?" Aesthetic and Safe, Crafting the University Road Block Ambiance

Building upon the approved dimensions, the "Management Standards" aim to maintain the overall aesthetic harmony and unity of University Road block. They elucidate spatial planning, partition decoration, interior furniture, and canopy requirements for merchants' external stalls, offering guidelines and suggestions in terms of material selection, color coordination, and overall style and ambiance, complete with exemplar standards drawn from recommended cases. Concurrently, the "Management Standards" focus on elevating the safety standards of external stalls, detailing a list of items prohibited within these spaces, standardizing canopy setup requirements, and instituting a regular annual inspection mechanism. They also propose numerous safety measures for daily operations, firmly establishing a baseline for safety.

"How Do I Report?" Audit First, Standardizing the Reporting Process for External Stalls

Prior to establishing external stalls, all merchants of University Road block must undergo an audit and on-site assessment by relevant departments before commencing their business activities. The "Management Standards" explicitly define the qualifications required for merchants to apply for external stalls, unifying the checklist and format standards for applications. By standardizing the complete process — from application submission, property pre-review, local management department preliminary review, to multi-department on-site assessment — the standards cultivate a transparent and orderly business environment on University Road block.

"How Do I Manage?" Precision Management, Clarifying Responsibilities Across Departments

To ensure efficient management of merchants' daily activities at external stalls, the "Management Standards" establish a scoring system based on merchant responsibility, with a detailed scoring breakdown to encourage compliance. Additionally, the standards comprehensively delineate the responsibilities of various departments and institutions involved in the management of University Road's external stalls. These include the Street Community Business Office, Management Office, Peace Office, Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Team, Urban Operation Grid Workstation, and local property company SHUION Group. Each entity's responsibilities are clearly defined and reinforced, collectively ensuring routine management, inspections, and law enforcement for external stalls, safeguarding the business environment of University Road block.

Immediate and Evident Therapeutic Effects: University Road Block

Since the introduction of the "University Road Block External Stalls Management Standards (Trial)", the management department finally has a unified standard to follow, and merchants have a guideline to adhere to. All parties have undergone multiple rounds of rectification and updates in accordance with the "Management Standards". Let's witness the inadvertent rejuvenation of University Road block:

Valuable Diagnostic and Treatment Experience: University Road Block

The outdoor seating along University Road block stands as the most dazzling feature of this internet-famous block, continuously enhancing its quality and adding color to the urban landscape of Wujiaochang. Behind this, the wisdom of management that has been continuously refined and honed by all parties involved offers a scientific reference for the detailed management at the terminal ends of urban blocks. The Wujiaochang Street Comprehensive Administrative Enforcement Team will deeply summarize the management experience of the University Road block. By focusing on specific points to influence broader aspects, they aim to enhance law enforcement through legal education and replace traditional general management models with precise, location-based alternatives. This valuable experience in the management of outdoor seating at University Road block will be replicated in other areas, further uncovering effective strategies for the efficient governance of the city's distinctive commercial blocks.