Shanghai strives to become city of parks

Shanghai is fast becoming a city of parks, as the government tackles unlocking previously enclosed green spaces to the public and opening parks 24 hours a day, according to core initiatives.

The city has launched a campaign to open to the public previously enclosed green spaces affiliated with enterprises and institutions. By late last year, it had already unlocked 86 such spaces spanning over 600,000 square meters.

Another 40 green spaces will be opened this year, with qualified venues upgraded into public parks. By the end of next year, Shanghai aims to unlock over 100 such locations, exceeding 1 million sq m in total, according to the plan.

The city is also developing pocket parks by activating underutilized lots and repurposing public green spaces.

As of December, Shanghai's park network has expanded to 477 urban parks, 265 pocket parks, 89 rural parks and a theme park.

Parks in Shanghai have lengthened their operating hours to provide round-the-clock access for residents.

By late 2022, 255 of the city's 438 registered urban parks had been extended to all-day operation. Extended hours are now mandatory for all new urban parks.

Over 60 percent of Shanghai's urban parks have achieved 24-hour accessibility as of last year. This year, another 30 parks across nine districts, including Huangpu and Pudong, will be open around the clock.

"Our vision goes beyond simply building parks within the city, but transforming Shanghai into one grand park integrating green spaces seamlessly into the urban landscape," said Gong Zheng, mayor of the city.

Last year, 162 new parks were added to the network across urban, pocket, rural and themed categories, bringing the total to 832 parks. This year, 120 more new parks will be built, including the "twin hills" within the Shanghai Expo Culture Park.

Shanghai will have 1,000 parks by late next year and hopes to have 2,000 parks by 2035, Gong said.

Shanghai's Century Park, one of the largest parks in the city that has been operating 24 hours a day since May, serves as an example of Shanghai's park-urban integration efforts.

Over 3 kilometers of the park's boundary walls were demolished to create seven new entrances. Around 43,000 sq m were also renovated, further extending greenery and converting a former parking lot into nearly 70 new spaces for public enjoyment.

"After two phases of upgrading, the park's walls have been removed and its green space has been expanded to better integrate into the surrounding neighborhoods," said Wu Gang, general manager of the park.

Authorities at the park considered local needs and service capacities through thorough evaluation and public consultation before allowing 24-hour operation.

To ensure safe, constant access, the park deployed a smart operations platform integrating drone patrols, increased security staffing and set environmental sensors to track conditions, enabling comprehensive monitoring and management.

According to Shanghai's overall plan, the city is trying to create an ecological network of parks, forests and wetland systems. This blueprint aims for the city to have over 13 sq m of park greenery per capita and a forest coverage of 23 percent.

zhengzheng@chinadaily.com.cn