URBAN REGENERATION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIETY, CULTURE AND POLICY: COMPARISON OF THREE HISTORICAL STREETS (AREAS) IN THE FORMER FRENCH CONCESSION IN SHANGHAI

Abstract

With continuous development of globalization and urban regeneration in contemporary China, comprehensive improvement becomes a common phenomenon. It has also been widely noticed by the public, though, “large-scale demolition and reconstruction” methods have been highly criticized at the same time. Three historical streets (areas), Yongkang Road, Xintiandi Area and Tianzifang Area, in Shanghai's former French Concession, have witnessed varying degrees of micro-renovation and comprehensive improvement in the past 30 years and eventually show a completely different space status. By analyzing and contrasting the diagrams between the histories of these three streets (areas), the change of trade form, evolution of urban form, regeneration of street space and the users, it shows that the social, cultural and policy have a significant effect on Yongkang Road which is plebification, Xintiandi Area which is a classical gentrification area in Shanghai and Tianzifang Area which is gradually coming from plebification to gentrification as well as leading them into a different way. The author attempts to reveal the similarities and differences of socio-cultural forces behind each street (areas) in order to explore different spatial consequences and impacts of various reasons: features and advantages, challenges and difficulties. The study of three historical streets (areas) in the former French Concession shows the influence of social and cultural policy forces on the urban morphology in different areas and inspired the formulation and improvement of street policies in the urban renewal of Shanghai.