As March arrives with its tender warmth and lingering chill, Yangpu Riverside is wrapped in a gentle embrace of floating clouds and buds on the verge of blossoming. Here, the century-old industrial heritage and vibrant ecological pathways engage in a silent dialogue under the soft spring light. Along the riverside promenade, the joyous sounds of elderly strollers and playful children intertwine with the melodious calls of gulls, orchestrating a springtime serenade. Just as residents revel in this riverside idyll, the ninth plenary session of the Yangpu Riverside Development and Management Center has launched a bold new vision. Rooted in the people's city concept, this ambitious plan will elevate Yangpu Riverside onto the global stage as a premier waterfront destination, guided by a triad of innovation: functional transformation, governance revitalization, and service evolution.

Enhancing Infrastructure to Achieve New Milestones in People's City Building

Guided by the people's city concept, Yangpu District is driven by the collective desire for a better life. This aspiration not only fuels urban development but also shapes its direction and goals.

As industries evolve, the old industrial relics along Yangpu Riverside have given way to new possibilities. Once dormant, these sites have been revitalized with piers and walking paths, gradually transforming the industrial belt into a vibrant city lounge. Over the years, Yangpu has prioritized the creation of expansive recreational spaces, breathing new life into the riverside area.

In the recently concluded year of 2024, the Yangpu Riverside planning and implementation platform played a pivotal role in speeding up urban renewal and setting high standards for public space construction. Significant progress was made in the traffic organization east of the bridge in the southern section of Yangpu Riverside, and a master plan and management manual were completed for the 80-hectare area in the eastern Riverside section of the bridge. These efforts were further enhanced by the continuous renovation of historical buildings and the elevation of public space quality in alignment with multiple demonstration zones, covering cultural relic protection and utilization, park cities, all-inclusive tourism, barrier-free environment, child-friendliness, and low-carbon development.

The Binjiang Administrative Center of Urban Operation has also seen continuous improvement. The launch of the Yangpu Riverside Smart Management Platform has bolstered the district's digital urban management capabilities such as information access and functional debugging, reinforcing the modern governance system in Yangpu Riverside.

The Yangpu Bridge public space and comprehensive environment project (Phase II) is steadily progressing. Youku Art Park has been fully completed and is now open to the public, while the conceptual design for the riverside branch of Yangpu Library has also been unveiled. Furthermore, Yangpu Riverside hosted the "Une Autre Source de Lumière" Sino-Français Zéro Carbone Concert and the 9th Shanghai Yangpu Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival, both of which were held with great success.

These initiatives exemplify the district's commitment to people-centric development, ensuring that the best resources are reserved for the public and that every corner of Riverside becomes a place of lasting appeal.

Shaping the Driving Engine for Regional High-Quality Development, Pushing the Boundaries of "Serving the People" Further

As the "14th Five-Year Plan" draws to a close and the Three-Year Action Plan for Yangpu Riverside (2023-2025) reaches its critical phase, the ninth plenary session of the Yangpu Riverside Development and Management Center has unveiled an ambitious blueprint. With Fuxing Island as the strategic hub, the plan aims to expedite the spatial and functional transformation of the southern and middle-northern sections of the riverside. The objective is to shape a new paradigm for world-class waterfront space, establish a new strategic growth hub for urban development, and push the boundaries of "serving the people" further.

To build distinctive platforms for a people's city, Yangpu will sprint towards completing the "five ones" iconic projects, swiftly advance the Citizen Center and Riverside Book Pavilion initiatives, and continuously elevate the service quality of the Gongqing 430 and 130 Apartments, and the Home for Modern City Builders and Managers. Furthermore, the unique contributions of distinctive promotional groups, like the "Old Poplar Tree Lecture Group", Yangpu Riverside "Young Guides", and Fudan University's PhD Lecture Group, will be fully harnessed. The Riverside People's Market will persist in its operations, while the "Red Tide" Party building public welfare brand will be further enhanced.

On the infrastructure front, the focus will be on advancing the construction of Subway Line 20 and conducting early research on Subway Line 24. Key projects, including the Longchang Road Cross-River Tunnel, the new Jungong Road Expressway, the Yangshupu Port Model Section (Phase III), and the Yangshupu Road Electricity Tunnel, will be expedited. Additionally, Phase I of the underground passage and a parking guidance system in the southern section of Riverside will be rolled out to enhance connectivity and accessibility.

To amplify industrial drive, Yangpu is gearing up to fortify the chain leader system for key industries and integrate investment promotion with corporate services in "Changyang Belt" Online New Economy Park. Capitalizing on the establishment of the Shanghai Quantum City-Space Innovation Base and the main venue of the Shanghai Urban Space Art Season, the district is poised to nurture an industrial cluster in AI and spatiotemporal innovation. By refining policies for enterprise and talent support, bolstering investment promotion through industrial chains, and continuously hosting top-tier events, Yangpu aims to bring in more leading enterprises and functional platforms, solidify its position as a corporate headquarters hub, and elevate the profile of the "Yangpu Digital" brand. Parallel efforts in enhancing digital governance and coordinating major projects like the CECEP Shanghai Headquarters, Meituan Shanghai Sci-Tech Center, Bilibili New Generation Industrial Park, Douyin Shanghai Riverside Center, and the Hopson One Project will further enrich the district's multi-dimensional development strategy, breathing new life into the urban riverside.

Furthermore, Yangpu aims to pioneer innovative approaches in fine management and persist in fostering shared enjoyment of the Yangpu Riverside waterfront. By tapping into its rich cultural and tourism resources, introducing branded sports events and cultural festivals, augmenting rest areas along the riverfront, and enhancing multifaceted functionalities such as sports, recreation, convenience retail, and dining, Yangpu aims to draw more residents and visitors to its unique blend of industrial heritage and cultural scenery. Consequently, this will markedly elevate the functional quality of Riverside.

Xue Kan, Secretary of the CPC Yangpu District Committee, underscored the importance of a holistic and forward-looking approach at a recent meeting: "We must meticulously plan and advance the comprehensive development of Riverside to enhance its overall function and quality." With these visionary strategies in place, the future of Yangpu Riverside is bright!