At the newly opened Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Center, a group of young professionals from various companies explored the transformation of the "Living Showcase Belt" through the digital exhibition. Later, at a tea party, they engaged in lively discussions about the "High-Quality Development of Yangpu Riverside," envisioning the boundless future of the "Development Embroidery Belt."

It turns out they are enterprise representatives from the Yangpu Riverside Governance United Association. In recent years, the United Association has gathered the strength of more than 80 representative enterprises, units, and social organizations of new quality productive forces in the region, committed to creating a Shanghai model of social governance and striving to become a benchmark for urban governance, contributing to Yangpu Riverside's efforts to create a demonstration zone for People's City construction.

From 43 to More Than 80: The United Association Continuously Absorbs Youth Power

It is understood that the Yangpu Riverside Governance United Association was initiated and established by four units: Shanghai Yangpu Riverside Investment & Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd. under the guidance and support of the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau and the District Committee and District Government. It has received active responses from enterprises, units, and social organizations in the region. The first batch of member units totaled 43, encompassing various fields such as real estate development, traditional industry, financial investment, architectural design, social undertakings, social services, and professional services, diverse and each with its own strengths.

"Initially, there were 43 enterprises, and later it gradually increased to more than 80. Most of the employees in these enterprises are young people. Over the years, we have gathered diverse entities such as more than 80 central enterprises, state-owned enterprises, listed companies, and leading online new economy enterprises including Shanghai Construction Group, Tongji Planning Institute, Bank of Communications Yangpu Branch, China Communications Construction Company, China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, Meituan, Dada Group, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, etc., pooling strength to build a new era 'Riverside Circle of Friends' and improve the level of modern governance," said Wang Lujia, Secretary-General of the Yangpu Riverside Governance United Association and Vice Chairman of the District Youth Federation.

Wang Lujia also has another identity as the post-90s curator of the Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Center. In his view, the establishment of the United Association is in line with the trend. "It is based on the birthplace of the People's City concept, focuses on the key points and development directions of Yangpu Riverside planning, and implements the concept of whole-process people's democracy."

As a high-level, large-scale, resource-rich, and innovative social organization in the Yangpu Riverside area, the United Association has built four platforms for information, activities, communication, and resources. It has collaborated with member units and relevant departments to carry out special actions such as the Riverside Decision-making and Consultation Committee Meeting, Riverside People's Market, Rule of Law Riverside, and "Sitting Around and Tasting Tea, Chatting and Painting the Riverside" themed tea parties, mobilizing the youth forces of Riverside enterprises and institutions to jointly practice the People's City concept and build a platform for co-governance, co-construction, and sharing for Yangpu's "New Practice of People's City" picture scroll.

Wang Lujia said that the United Association, by leveraging its platform role, participates in the formulation of Yangpu Riverside work summaries and action plans; participates in the formulation of Yangpu Riverside related management measures and working mechanisms; assists in suggestion solicitation related work; participates in regional planning research in our district; and actively carries out various research and investigation work. As the only four district-level social organizations selected as the first batch of municipal-level social organization consultation and liaison points, it allows more young people to directly participate in the People's City Yangpu practice.

Turning Golden Ideas into Golden Keys: Youth Power Actively Invests in Yangpu Riverside Construction

How user-friendly is the barrier-free environment construction of the Riverside? Are cultural heritage buildings truly respected and well-treated? On the Yangpu Riverside coastline, a group of young students from Tongji University previously offered their professional skills, persevering through both intense heat and freezing winds.

Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute is the vice-chairman unit of the Yangpu Riverside Governance United Association. Under the leadership of the Planning Institute, a group of Tongji students formed a 10-person special project team to conduct research on four major topics: whole-process people's democracy, demonstration zone for cultural heritage protection and utilization, innovation demonstration zone for space accessibility, and diversified development of civilization practice volunteer services. They successively visited 8 units including the District Petition Office, District Disabled Persons' Federation, Medical Social Work Department of Xinhua Hospital, Oriental Fisherman's Wharf, Jingwei Design, and Shanxin, and set up people's questionnaire survey points in key locations such as the People's City Exhibition Center and Green Hill to invite citizens and tourists to express their opinions and suggestions, and finally formed a special research report.

Wang Lujia stated that this exemplifies how the United Association effectively leverages its co-construction advantages, galvanizing talent, and infusing professional wisdom and youthful energy into Yangpu's "Re-innovation and Development”.

"We, as youth forces, actively invest in the development of Yangpu Riverside, and have also witnessed the vivid interpretation of turning the 'golden ideas' of the people into 'golden keys' to leverage urban development," Wang Lujia introduced.

Along Yangpu Riverside, there are the Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Center, the Yangpu Riverside People's City Planning Exhibition Hall, and 10 Party-mass service stations. In these places, golden ideas can be written and uploaded to the people's suggestion collection platform at any time.

It is gratifying that in recent years, enterprises, institutions, citizens, and tourists have actively participated in offering suggestions. Trash cans symbolizing "ship inheritance," water connection points implying "growth," and barrier-free facilities with "love all the way"... a large number of suggestions have been transformed into spatial development and functional construction achievements.

At the same time, Yangpu Riverside continues to create a national demonstration zone for cultural heritage protection and utilization, a children-friendly public space demonstration zone, a municipal park city pilot demonstration zone, a "World Reception Room" all-area tourism characteristic demonstration zone, a space accessibility innovation demonstration zone, a "Changyang Showcase Belt" online new economy eco-park, and a low-carbon demonstration zone, creating a model of urban public space integrating exhibition Showcase Belt, landscape experience belt, and vibrant interwoven belt. Striving to create a new era People's City construction demonstration zone, and deepening and solidifying the guiding principle of "people-centered use" for public space connectivity and comprehensive environmental improvement.

"We have always earnestly practiced the People's City concept, insisting on leaving the best resources to the people, serving the people with the best supply, and making the beautiful life that people yearn for concrete here," Wang Lujia introduced. Through the United Association mobilizing member units and youth forces to participate together, many livelihood projects such as love winter and summer vacation care classes have become more colorful. Some enterprises of the United Association have sent courses to the winter and summer vacation care classes; Yangpu Riverside Red Tide People's Market and other themed activities have become more vibrant. At the same time, it also provides college students' extracurricular practice with more fulfilling practical topics and volunteer service scenarios; and provides enterprises with a more dynamic platform for exchange, collision, and innovative cooperation.