ABSTRACT
The city of Shanghai is located in a swampy area in the Yangtze River valley in eastern China. Around the end of Qing Dynasty, Shiliupu (in Shanghai) became the largest port in East Asia. Now, Shanghai is one of the world’s busiest ports and the economic centre of China. There are 3 types of waterfront developments occurring in Shanghai, each based on different types of water bodies. The first type of development is along the main river – Whangpoo River, which is government initiated and covers large areas. The second type of development is along the Suzhou Creek and other tributaries of Whangpoo River, which are usually initiated by the private sector and deal with relatively smaller land parcels. The third type is the conservational development of historical towns in the suburban areas of the city. These developments are initiated by the government and aim to protect the historic character of the towns. This paper investigates a case belonging to the second type – private development occurring along the Suzhou Creek.
