Comprehensive Business-Culture Activity Zone Unveiled in City Center

The Nanjing Road-Suhe Bay Central Activity Zone (CAZ) was unveiled on Thursday in downtown Shanghai's Jing'an District, bringing together two of the city's most dynamic areas under a single development plan.

It links the retail and business strip of Nanjing Road W. with the rapidly evolving Suhe Bay waterfront.

At the ceremony, the district government and Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG) launched "CAZ Next 2030," a five-year plan aimed at improving connections across the area, supporting commercial activities and expanding cultural and public space.

It is designed to bring together businesses, cultural organizations, media and local communities, alongside international partners, as Shanghai looks to sustain growth in urban core.

Jing'an District Vice Director Mei Guangqing described the initiative as a consolidation of the district's central areas, linking Nanjing Road W.'s established retail and business strength with Suhe Bay's cultural and waterfront development.

He said the goal is to create a more cohesive district with a stronger international profile and better align its economic and spatial development toward 2030.

SUMG Vice President Yang Jian said the CAZ combines office towers and professional services with street-level activity and emerging urban experiences, demonstrating Shanghai's shifts in consumption, culture, technology and city life.

A separate cooperation agreement between Jing'an and SUMG will deepen collaboration on investment, industrial upgrading and urban redevelopment, with a focus on developing a broader creative and cultural hub.

A "CAZ Next Media Observation Group" was also unveiled. Over the next five years, media outlets and content creators from SUMG will report on the CAZ's development, focusing on urban change and contemporary city life.

A series of cross-sector partnerships was also announced.

The historic Denis Apartments, opposite Louis Vuitton's "The Louis" landmark, will be converted into a space for exhibitions and cultural programming, with plans to make the site more accessible to the public. In June, the Shanghai Natural History Museum will open a temporary science and experience pop-up there.

The first batch of "CAZ Lounge Gravity Field" sites was also designated across major commercial complexes in the area, including Yong Yuan Bang, Wheelock Square, and Jing'an Kerry Center. Over time, these complexes are expected to move beyond traditional office leasing towards mixed-use models combining work, retail, events, exhibitions and leisure.