In the summer of 2017, members of SOM’s Urban Design and Planning team participated in a pro-bono community renewal program in Shanghai. The SOM group was invited by the government of Shanghai’s Pudong New District to play an advisory role in Diversified Community, an initiative that aims to improve quality of life through effective, people-focused urban design.
SOM Associate Director Naifei Sun was selected as an adviser for Diversified Community. As one of nine advisers selected, Sun joined experts from various institutions, including Tongji University, Shanghai University, the Pudong New Area District Culture and Arts Center, AECOM, and Arcplus Group. SOM Associate and Senior Urban Designer Ted Yu and Landscape Designer Han Yu volunteered to contribute to the pro-bono effort.
Over a period of two months, the SOM group worked closely with members of the community in the Pudong Tangqiao Sub-district to develop an understanding of community objectives, specifically with regard to a renewal plan for the Center for Senior Citizens of Tangqiao, and to design guidelines for a renovation of Nanpu Park. Through the process, the SOM team served as a mentor organization for the Tangqiao community office, offering professional expertise and guidance. To shed light on relevant models that might inform the renewal program in Tangqiao, the team led participants in an analysis of case studies from around the world, including Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York; Robson Street in Vancouver; and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Diversified Community is currently taking place in a number of pilot neighborhoods in the Pudong New District. It is supported by the Pudong New Area Planning and Land Authority, and the Lujiazui Office of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration.?