Shanghai's Forgotten Metropolitan Plan

Shanghai has seen its fair share of ambitious urban planning proposals. In the 1990s, the establishment of Pudong New Area transformed sleepy villages into China’s preeminent CBD; in the 2010s, the “one city nine towns” spurred the construction of satellite towns, each with its unique architectural theme.

I am most fascinated by a plan that never materialized — The Greater Shanghai Plan.

In 1927, after unifying China through the Northern Expedition, the Nationalist Government established its seat in Nanjing. At the time, Shanghai was already “the Pearl of the Orient,” a cosmopolitan unrivaled in the Far East. It had profited handsomely from commerce, most of which was concentrated in the concessions ruled by Western powers like the US, Great Britain, and France.

Chiang Kai-Shek wanted to build a Shanghai for the Chinese. Under his directions, the Nationalist Government began drawing up “The Greater Shanghai Plan” in the late 1920s. Its site would be Jiangwan, lying just north of the foreign concession. With convenient access to ports along the Huangpu River, the Nationalist Government hoped it would become a commercial hub that could rival the international settlement.

Jiangwan in the 1930s, with the Shanghai Municipal Government Building complete.

It would not be an exaggeration to describe the plan as being fit for a capital city. The Great Shanghai Plan was laid out over a radial road network with a central axis running east-west towards the river. Unlike the walled-in old town of Shanghai, it would be spacious and grandiose. Over 15% of the urban area would be dedicated to parks and open space. Taking center stage would be a civic center with a rectangular reflecting pool reminiscent of the Washington Mall.

In the 1930s, work began on the plan’s most iconic structures: the Shanghai Municipal Government Building, Shanghai Library, and Jiangwan Stadium. While Jiangwan remained largely empty, its road network began silently taking shape.

However, The Greater Shanghai Plan did not go any further. The Japanese invasion of China in 1937 soon put an indefinite halt to Chiang’s ambitions. Most of Jiangwan was flattened by Japanese buildings — by the end of the war in 1945, the Greater Shanghai Plan was a thing of the past.

Now, 80 years later, the traces of the Great Shanghai Plan are still everywhere — in the street layout that shows hints of a radial plan, and the imposing neo-classical buildings of Jiangwan.

The street layout of Jiangwan today — with the radial layout of the Greater Shanghai Plan still visible (Mapbox)

Take the Jiangwan Stadium, for instance. Looking at its sleek façade, a blend of modern functionality and traditional Chinese motifs, it can be difficult to imagine its turbulent past as a Japanese armory during the Sino-Japanese War. In the decades since, it has witnessed the rise of Shanghai’s favorite football club — the Shenhua — and remains a neighborhood favorite on the weekends when it bustles with joggers and aspiring footballers.

The Jiangwan Stadium with its facade being a blend of Chinese and Western influences (Jiefang Daily)

The Former Municipal Government Building now houses Shanghai Sport University; down the road, the Changhai Hospital former schoolhouses and villas of the Greater Shanghai Plan. The Shanghai Library remains in the same role, now as the Yangpu District Library.

I think there is something serendipitous about Jiangwan’s transformation. Today, it is a modern, international neighborhood with a youthful college population — perhaps not entirely dissimilar to Chiang’s vision in 1927.

Bibliography

Jiangwan Historical and Cultural Block. https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-HeritageZones/20240620/80782b6a78ea42339abc92c95bace9ef.html.

榜上有名！江湾体育场入围第七批中国20世纪建筑遗产_上观新闻. https://www.jfdaily.com/sgh/detail?id=974618.