This year marks the 5th anniversary of the concept of people's city. As the place where it was first proposed, Yangpu is thriving with a flourishing digital economy and a dynamic, youthful spirit. Let's immerse ourselves in this city that is becoming increasingly "YOUNG" for the people...

From washing to cutting, preparing, cooking and packaging, a "production line" operates efficiently in the kitchen. The elderly with meal subscriptions have their "dedicated delivery personnel", who have every household's needs in mind. Delivering meals to the elderly is a race of speed and warmth. Reading rooms, indoor play areas, baking sections and more—filled with endless laughter and joy—the children's home in the community is not only a cozy and comfortable space for activities but also a "deliberative place" that guides children in engaging in social practices and listens to their voices.

The 9th Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Yangpu District Committee called for persistent efforts to improve the people's well-being to create a new vision for a good life in the people's city. In the new practice of the people's city, how Yangpu's "15-minute community life circle" improves the people's well-being.

Delivering meals to the elderly is a race of speed and warmth

A "production line" operates efficiently in the kitchen

Hearty braised pork chops with a rich sauce, refreshing cucumber with scrambled eggs, tender blanched lettuce...Every day, over 800 servings of "exclusive takeout" depart from Yunheyuan Central Kitchen and are delivered to the homes of subscribed elderly residents. Situated in Yunhewan Intellectual Property Park, Yunheyuan Central Kitchen is Yangpu's first central kitchen dedicated to providing the elderly with meal services. "We offer comprehensive services from procurement to cooking to delivery, ensuring that the elderly can eat with confidence," said Wang Hongzhen, the head of the kitchen.

Delivering meals to the elderly is a race of speed and warmth. Regardless of the harsh summer heat or the cold of winter, the meals are sent out steaming, thanks to the efficient operation of a "production line".

"Ingredients are fresh every day"; 2 a.m. marks the daily procurement hour. The kitchen assigns dedicated staff to head to the wholesale market on time to order according to the day's menu, with the ingredients arriving at the central kitchen by 6 a.m. "Given the high volume of orders, the daily procurement includes meats, vegetables and bean products—nears one ton," said Wang.

"Quicken the pace and ensure meals are served on time!" At 6 a.m., upon the arrival of the ingredients, the team spring into action, chopping, dicing, washing, blanching and straining...Once these processes are complete, the chefs step in to showcase their culinary skills. As the dishes are freshly cooked, they are swiftly moved to the packing area. A team of seven or eight workers efficiently fills, packs and seals the meals, standing on either side of the sealing machine. Outside, the delivery personnel are already prepared.

Yunheyuan Central Kitchen offers four meal plans daily - A, B, C and D, catering to regular, sugar-free, seafood-free and halal dietary preferences respectively. These are designed to better accommodate the diverse needs of the elderly, each priced at 12 yuan.

The elderly with meal subscriptions have their "dedicated delivery personnel", who have every household's needs in mind.

"Most orders are for Plan A, but some elderly people have specific health conditions requiring the sugar-free Plan B. We confirm the number of recipients and their addresses every morning," said delivery person Tang Huizhong, who was busy receiving and checking the day's delivery list. Under the scorching sun, he was already drenched in sweat before even starting his deliveries. "In summer, many elderly people wake up early and prefer to eat early, so we advance our entire delivery schedule. Some have diabetes and can't afford to skip meals, which we consider when planning our routes," he noted.

These delivery personnel are seasoned professionals who have been in the field for years and have built close relationships with the elderly. They adjust their delivery routes daily based on the meal times of the seniors they serve.

Yunheyuan Central Kitchen caters to the needs of some 800 elderly residents in seven sub-districts of Yangpu. 55-year-old Tang Huizhong is in charge of Dinghai Road Sub-district, typically delivering about 50 meals daily. He starts his deliveries around 9 a.m., with a strict deadline to complete all deliveries by noon, ensuring that the food's surface temperature is no less than 70 degrees Celsius upon arrival.

Given that the majority of the seniors with meal subscriptions live in old residential complexes without elevators, climbing stairs is a common part of Tang's job. "In our profession, it's a must to climb over a hundred floors each day. If you're not quick on your feet, how can you ensure timely deliveries?"

"Auntie Zhou, I'm here!" Around 10 a.m., Tang knocked on the door of his first customer of the day, Zhou Lingfeng. The meal was delivered still piping hot. "I've been subscribing to the meal service for years. Xiao Tang is very friendly and punctual; he delivers to my home around 10 a.m. every day and reminds me to eat while it's still warm. We've become quite acquainted!" Zhou said.

Elderly customers have varying requirements for their meal deliveries. For 93-year-old Granny Wan, who resides on the ground floor, a knock on the window is a silent signal between her and Tang. "Xiao Tang's window knock is his way of letting me know he's arrived, and then he comes to the front door to bring the meal inside. I'm very thankful to him," Granny Wan said.

With 16 years of experience in meal delivery services in Yangpu, Tang knows the delivery route by heart, without the need to constantly refer to his list. During his visits, he frequently inquires about the seniors' well-being, checking if the meals are to their taste and if there's a need to switch meal plans. "Serving the elderly is like serving one's own parents; dedication is a must."

Yunheyuan Central Kitchen, having been in operation for years, has earned a loyal following among the elderly community, with its service scope widening and the number of meal subscriptions growing annually. "I often tell our staff that preparing meals for the elderly is about treating them as our own parents. To serve the elderly, one must have a sense of sentiment and maintain the original intention," Wang said.

Currently, Yangpu is developing a catering logistics distribution system with the central kitchen at its core, aiming to improve efficiency and quality through large-scale, professional and standardized management, to bring "happiness on the tip of the tongue" to an increasing number of seniors.

Children friendliness adds a warm touch to the 15-minute community life circle

The curved sandpit is filled with fine sand, and every sharp edge of the slide has been treated to prevent collisions...Recently, even before getting close to the Jiulongcang Children's Home in New Jiangwan City Sub-district, we were drawn by the sounds of laughter and joy. Established and opened last year, the children's home features a reading room, an indoor play area, a baking area and more, creating a cozy and comfortable space that is friendly to children.

The 2nd Shanghai Forum on Advancing the Building of a Child-Friendly City was recently held, releasing the 2024 Shanghai Annual Report on the Building of a Child-Friendly City and the Shanghai Child-Friendly Policy Guidelines Version 1.0. The Annual Report presents the paths and models of Shanghai's efforts to build a child-friendly city from various dimensions, including construction effectiveness and specific practices in each district. The Policy Guidelines offer policy references in a Q&A format for families, children and professionals working on child-friendly initiatives.

Knowing what children need and like is crucial to advancing the building of a child-friendly city.

Supported by the Office of the Women's and Children's Work Committee of Yangpu District, the Women's Federation of New Jiangwan City Sub-district and the Experimental School of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Jiulongcang Xiyuan residential area has established the "Youtong (Child-Friendly) Council", located at the Jiulongcang Children's Home. They have designed an interactive classroom called the "Jiulongcang Metaverse Happy Star Domain Plan" to cultivate children's observational and thinking skills, guiding them in engaging in social practices and contribute ideas for community development and progress.

The "2+5+N" formula is the strategic blueprint for New Jiangwan City Sub-district's initiative to build child-friendly community spaces.

"2" signifies the establishment of two children's service centers and sub-centers at the sub-district level; "5" represents the development of five children's homes in communities with more favorable conditions; "N" stands for the creation of "children's micro-homes" in more average conditions, while also integrating public sports venues on Zhengyue Road, Songhu Road and Yinhang Road, UFun, Star Plaza, New Jiangwan City Life Plaza and New Jiangwan City Park into the sub-district's network of "two centers and multiple sites", catering to the needs of children of all ages within a 15-minute community life circle.

On May 27 last year, the melodious and sometimes powerful drumbeats resonated beneath Yangpu Bridge, accompanied by the whistle from the river. Zhao Ruoyun, a student from the branch of Kongjiang Ercun Primary School, was trying drumming in circle for the first time and quickly grew fond of the rhythmic experience: "I enjoy drumming, which makes me incredibly happy!" The "Drumming 'Delight' at the Bridge • 'Echo' of a Child-Friendly City" Parent-Child Drumming in Circle at Daqiao Park was the first child-friendly service project embedded by the Office of the Women's and Children's Work Committee of Yangpu District in Daqiao Park last year.

Daqiao Park has been transformed into a children's exploration paradise, hosting events like "Young Planners" Tour of Riverside and Parent-Child Drumming in Circle, which have become very popular among children and parents. Schools such as Wujiaochang Kindergarten and Hangzhou Road No. 1 Primary School encourage students to "contribute ideas", enhancing the campus system from a children's perspective, and leading the way in making campus spaces more child-friendly. The establishment of child-friendly hospitals aims to improve pediatric health services and create a superior medical environment...In the new practice of the people's city, Yangpu has fully integrated the concept of child friendliness into regional development, adding a warm touch to the people's city.

What lies ahead for child friendliness? The future aims to further satisfy the diverse needs of children, to foster their subjective initiative, and to involve them as participants in driving urban innovation and as "little masters" of the community. Moving forward, Yangpu will continue to implement child-friendly city service brand projects that span education, health, culture, sports, science and spatial construction. These efforts will promote the high-quality development of children's undertakings in the new era in a multi-dimensional, multi-level and holistic manner, empowering urban innovation and development with the concept of child friendliness.