Shanghai Unveils Detailed Plan for Wusong's Urban Renewal

Shanghai has released a detailed plan to redevelop a 12.6-square-kilometer section of Wusong Innovation City, a former iron and steel production hub, with space for research, manufacturing, housing and waterfront recreation.

Officials unveiled the plan today at the ninth China International Import Expo. The event sought global investment in the redevelopment, which aims to turn research into practical technologies and products while preserving industrial heritage.

Waterways and green spaces will account for about a third of the area, according to the plan. Housing and public services will occupy another third, with industry and infrastructure making up the rest.

Wusong's redevelopment follows more than a century of change. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) government initiated a commercial port project there in 1898, and Shanghai designated Wusong a key industrial area in 1956. Construction of Baosteel's steelworks began in Baoshan in 1978, further establishing the district as a major steel production center.

The new plan connects three themed areas along a central development axis.

Innovation Island will feature waterfront spaces, with separate areas for shipping and leisure. AIRT City, the southern area, will combine technology and the arts with industrial heritage, gardens and a central park. Plans also include an innovation neighborhood around a future interchange between Metro Line 18 and 19.

Future Workshop, in the north, will focus on technological innovation and smart manufacturing. It will include a central green corridor and a sports park.

The event also featured the plan to redevelop Wusong's former steelmaking and continuous-casting workshops. The project has a planned development scale of about 400,000 square meters.

Tishman Speyer is working with Shanghai Chengtou and a local Wusong development company on the project. Future uses include offices, hotels, cultural venues and leisure facilities.

In an earlier interview ahead of the 38th International Business Leaders' Advisory Council meeting, Tishman Speyer chief executive Rob Speyer outlined plans after visiting the project and described the company's long-term commitment to Shanghai.

"Our investment and development in Shanghai is not a five- or 10-year plan. We hope to grow with the city over the coming decades," he said.

Beyond Wusong, Baoshan is expanding two major industry clusters: advanced materials, as well as robotics and high-end equipment. Priority fields include new battery materials, industrial robots and key components.

"We will build 30 model factories using AI within three years," Baoshan Party secretary Jin Xiaoming said at the CIIE event.

The district is also working with universities, including Fudan University and Shanghai University, to put research into practical use. It is opening manufacturing and public-service settings for companies to test new technologies.

A business service hub and an accompanying alliance were launched at the event. They aim to help companies establish operations in Shanghai and expand overseas, with support from financial institutions, industry leaders and other partners.