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character and pattern of streets to rebuild the neighborhood? What activities should happen in the streets? How do the elements of the street relate one to another? Can we The Reborn develop the street life into a vertical direction or other multiple directions, instead of its Street Life of the original ground level? In this paper, I will discuss current preservation projects in historically residential communities in Traditional Shanghai, China, and the traditional street life in these communities. In addition to Community in the critically examining the Shanghai model, which cannot accommodate the constant increasing housing demands, I’m going to Urban Reform analyze successful European projects to consider my methods of transforming of the street life in the Shanghai residential community. My research is aimed at preserving the character of the traditional street life within the contemporary needs of economic growth and higher density requirements. How can the public and private spaces of contemporary Shanghai communities be organized to reflect

traditional street life that promotes As the forces of globalization sweep across interpersonal and community interaction? the world, many cities, especially in developing countries, rush to catch up with Shanghai Shikumen Residential the opportunity for their economic and social Community development; meanwhile they anxiously dismantle massive traditionally low-density Shanghai, located on the eastern coast, is communities to meet with the ever- the largest center of commerce and finance expanding housing demand and economic in mainland China. Since Shanghai opened growth. When urban heritage gradually dies its doors to foreign trade due to the 1842 out in the disordered urban fabric as a result Treaty of Nanking, western culture has thrust of mass-produced housing projects, policy its roots deeply into the soil of traditional makers recognize the significance of city Shanghai’s culture, which gave the birth of identity, and then cast their eager sights the unique architectural style: the Shikumen upon the historic residential community. Due Residences, which means “ stone gate”. to economic growth and increasing population, urban reform does not stop at the front gate of the traditional community. Is there a possibility of increasing the density of communities, as well as preserving positive aspects in the traditional neighborhood, even though it sounds like: “You can not have your cake and eat it too.” In the study of new neighborhoods, Michael Southworth, professor at UC Berkeley, and Eran Ben-Joseph, Professor at MIT state, “a key element in the shaping of cities has been Fig.1 The community planning and the residence ideas of what the residential street work plan in the Shikumen community, Shanghai, should be, since streets are the public China, Li Zhenyu, “ City. Housing. City”, 2004 by frameworks within which neighborhood life Southeast University Press, p.23 takes place”1. If the public street promotes interpersonal connection in a community, The form of the Shikumen residences came how can neighborhood streets be more than from Chinese southeastern residence, with a a passage for traffic? What should be the front yard, living rooms, bedrooms, a

- 2 - kitchen, bathrooms and storage. (Fig.1) at the exterior, the interior design of the Unlike traditional Chinese residential Shikumen residences employ modern design community that arranges several residences and details. The residences altered into surrounding a yard, the Shikumen residences restaurants are specializing in French, are connected along with straight alleys in American, German, British, Brazilian, Italian, the typical mode of townhouses, commonly Japanese, as well as local dishes. They have seen in Anglo-American countries. In the outdoor seating that provides an active early 20th century, the Shikumen residences transforming space from its historic skin to were popular in the upper class to its romantic interior space. At South Block, a demonstrate their social status. When it modern shopping mall that blends of comes to the middle 20th century, the shopping, entertainment facilities, and Shikumen residences became to the main fitness center, stands elegantly as the back type of housing and accommodated curtain to highlight on the “new” Shikumen approximately 60% of Shanghai’s population. building in the front of it. When the past meets with the present here, eastern culture Since the economic reforms of 1990, people also meets west. nationwide have surged into Shanghai for better job opportunities, which resulted in The Shanghai Xintiandi project is successful the housing crunch. To meet the explosive in developing the commercial value of the housing demand, the government approved Shikumen residences, but it is far from the the “sweep-out” reform policy to replace the best solution to deal with the current low-density Shikumen residences with grand, difficulties. Its high construction cost but inhospitable, high-rise dwellings. Then, presents a huge obstacle to its avid the Shikumen residences gradually faded out followers. Furthermore, monotonous function of the historic urban stage. From an of use only preserves the skin of the economic aspect, this reform was extremely Shikumen residences, rather than the successful on investing the minimum capital essence. It’s hard to imagine the affable to satisfy the massive housing demands. neighborhood and vivid street life in the However, viewed from the architectural and surrounding bars and restaurants. urban cultural respects, it decreased the architectural diversity in this historic city, The Bugaoli project, also called “CITE destroyed the original urban fabric and BOURGOGNE”, located in the old French continuity, and changed social lifestyle. The concession, was designed by French historic and culturally influenced architects in the 1930s to host the wealthier neighborhood died out along with the class. Taking into consideration its Shikumen residences. architectural quality, the Shikumen residences here is aimed to preserve its Confronted with this huge cultural loss, residential quality. Specific measures Chinese architects voiced their dissent include: restoring the building’s skin against the ongoing “sweep-out” policy and according to the original design, improving made great efforts to save these traditional the physical properties of the outer wall and residences. However, how to save them the roof, rebuilding the bathrooms, and becomes a Gordian knot. Preserve them as upgrading the electrical system, the historic museums or give them new breath? plumbing system and the fire alarm system. After years of controversial attempts, there have three representative projects With the improvement of the living endeavoring to revivify the Shikumen standards, residents are supposed to enjoy residence: the Shanghai Xintiandi project, their living conditions. Surprisingly, as I the Bugaoli project, and the Tianzifang interviewed some of residents, they project. demonstrated their strong will to move out of that community. One man explained: Shanghai Xintiandi, located at the downtown, residents here are low-income people who has a site area of 128 acres of land. Like cannot afford themselves to new apartments preservation methods generally developed in when the house price in Shanghai soars up European cities, Xintiandi is reconstructed by to 12,000 RMB (1,700 USD) per square preserving the “outer skin” of the residence, meter. It’s so crowed and noisy that people and while altering its structure and functions can hear their neighbors’ television program into commercial use. Antique in appearance clearly when they are going to fall asleep.

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The Bugaoli project considers the historic into the residential community, turning it to and cultural values of the Shikumen a multi-use complexity. However, this residences well, but ignores the local project cosmetically contributes to the residents’ concerns and wishes. It’s still open improvement of environmental quality to discuss whether this project is successful through planting trees, building new parks or not. and other entertainment facilities; at the same time it leads the local community into The Tianzifang project is at Taikang Road, social conflict and chaos. This outcome where artists gather in downtown Shanghai. strays far away from architects’ initially In this project, several blocks in the sweet dreams. Shikumen residential community developed into Creative Art Park that includes galleries, Upon reviewing the abovementioned projects artist studios, art shops and coffee shops, in the Shikumen residential community, while the rest of the community is preserved though all of the attempts are positive, they for the residential use. still cannot meet urgent housing demands. From the urban scale, the Shikumen This idea worked extremely well at the residential communities occupy massive beginning. Since many top Chinese artists prime downtown land with low-density opened their studios there in 1998, accommodation, but from the community Tianzifang developed rapidly from its original scale, considering the fact that several alleyways into a sprawling labyrinth with families share one house, the heavy burden galleries, artist studios and shops. Untill last of the growing population has it “hard to year, Tianzifang Creative Art Park became breathe”. To increase density, it is inevitable one of the foremost creative centers in China to build multiple dwellings or high-rise with 137 art institutes from 26 countries. buildings in this community, which means Commercial tax-income is used to improve many Shikumen residences will be removed. residents’ living standards and environmental Thus, the following questions: Which part of quality. However, the revitalization of the the shikumen residential community will be Tianzifang project is not welcomed by replaced and which part should be everyone. Opposition comes from local preserved, and how can we preserve them? residents, especially those who live near the Should we preserve their historic skin as the Creative Art Park. They heatedly argue that Xintiandi project or preserve them only for they have lost their peaceful living residential use as the Bugaoli project? How environment, and resolutely oppose all can we reconcile the conflict between activities that disturb residents. In some preserving the existing community and extreme cases, groups of residents flock to developing the new area? Is there a the area to voice their dissent against the compromise between resurrecting the ongoing development. A retired teacher in Shikumen residential community and the nearby primacy school angrily described increasing its living density? There must be a the situation: the heavy music from the bars way to reinforce the historic character of the shakes my bed every night till morning. I’m Shikumen community, rather than wiping 67 years old this year. How can an aged man them out. tolerate it every night! every night! Additionally, as you see, to expand their The significance of the street life in the business, they illegally built temporary Shikumen residential community. buildings and stocked goods on the emergency roads for fire trucks! How can fire The streets, which Rob Krier defines as “a trucks come in to save us if the buildings product of the spread of a settlement once with wooden floors are on fire? If one houses have been built on all available space residence is on fire, it’s easy to spread out around its central square”2, not only act as a into the whole community without skeleton of the city for land distribution, but professional control! His concern made also serve as a stage for people’s social life. sense. It would be a disaster for this historic In The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, community with high-density population on William H. Whyte exemplifies people’s fire. activity on this stage as the regularity of chance meetings, the tendency to reciprocal Tianzifang project reveals that one can gestures in street conferences, the rhythms introduce cultural and commercial elements of the three-phase good-bye. According to

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Whyte’s observation from neighboring intriguing. Can we rebuild this street life in a buildings, he concludes that ordinary street new community? Is there a possibility of life can attract people to pause to look at transforming the traditional street life from what’s going on. He describes the street life its initial ground level to the vertical as amphi-theater, with several tiers of direction? people looking at people who are looking at people who are looking at the show.3 Street life in Western Society

In Europe, the street is a part of people’s daily lives. In this respect, Italians have their unique affection for street life. Yoshinobu Ashihara claims in The Aesthetic Townscape4 that Italians view the street as the extenstion of their living room, the place to Fig.2 The Street Life In The Shikumen Residential meet with friends and have parties. The Community, Shanghai, China, Author material built up the wall is also used to pave

the street, thus the boundary between public The street life in the Shikumen residential space and private space will soften community echoes Whyte’s words as Chinese imperceptibly, especially when people open “amphi-theater”. The width of alleys is the window or the door. Aldo Rossi describes approximately 10-12 feet, a little wider than the street life of residential community in the traditional scale. Residents take The Architecture of the City: The street is a advantage of spare rooms to build up tiny rectangular stage set where encounters, gardens, sinks, chess tables and bicycle gossip, games, fights, jealousies, courtship, parking lots. It’s not unusual to see elderly and displays of pride occur.5 He states the people read newspapers in the morning and residential community is a significant part of play chess or enjoy sunshine in the “collective memory”6 of city. afternoon; children play games and run around after school; women talk and laugh Similar to the situation happening in China when they prepare food near the sink at now, most European cities experienced the dinner time; men discuss and argue some industrial development and urban reform in political or social issues after dinner. (Fig.2) the 19th-20th century. Soaring population There is the local habit that residents hang and housing demands pose quite a challenge their wet clothing out to dry under the sun. to the “collective memory” of city. The “Bye- The dancing clothing waves like colorful flags Law”7 Street Ordinance in England in 1875 is flying over alleys. At the crossing of streets, a case in point. In one project in Leeds, 238 there usually is a small square, decorated by residents were moved out and 59 residences cloud-kissing trees and vigorous flowers, were dismantled. Unfortunately, Nothing acting as the public stage of the community. remained of the past intimacy…nor are there Residents gather together spontaneously to any mitigating effects from nature---no sing or dance there to celebrate the urban intervening grass or trees between the street life. and the house.8 The uniformity of the layout

was destroyed, as well as the urban fabric. The complex and diverse street life of the European architects recognized if the golden ground level is the beauty of human street life in the traditional community has civilization. People are social animals, living gone, it would be difficult to return. Aldo through interpersonal ties. It is the need for Rossi states: The English architects people to communicate in order to survive rediscovered a constant theme in residential and have better lives. Thus, the street might typological models when they realized that be something more than mere circulation. It the breaking up of slums brought with its provides an open space to encourage people simultaneous breakup of communities which to meet with each other, which is the basis had traditionally lived in high-density areas of real communication. Meanwhile, the street and which, without undergoing substantial acts as an intangible bridge between private changes, were unable to establish new roots life and the community, collecting vivid automatically in the low-density, suburban elements of life. It is especially true that areas to which they were reassigned.9 There street life builds the affable neighborhood have been extraordinary attempts to revive character that makes traditional life so

- 5 - the traditional neighborhood in the new at different times, while classrooms are projects. conceived as terraced housing.

The Geschwister School school at Lunen, Unlike Hans Scharoun, Peter Hübner Germany, a secondary school for girls, was developed each pupil’s social responsibility designed by Hans Scharoun in 1962. by involving them in planning and Scharoun defined universal classroom as construction. This idea came from his “class room unit”10 and developed it as a construction experience when he was a child small flat, called “Klassenwohnung (‘class- at the school at Gelsenkirchen. During the dwelling’)11. He planned the school like a course of collective activities, pupils had to small, child-friendly city and translated as “ negotiate with their immediate neighbors to schoolhoods”12 in the same sense as build a “community” with a uniform design neighborhoods in town planning. Scharoun arrange. He believed encouraging pupils to thought education should develop general participate in these construction projects experience and the gradual formation of would enhance their relationship and consciousness, which allows the individual to personal responsibility, which can “re- find the right contact with public life and with establish some kind of harmony between the political community.13 Thus, class unities humanity and nature.”17 have distinct boundaries and identities by socially differentiated organization of space. As his predecessors, German architects Each class unit is considered as a social Günter and Stefan Behnisch are hooked on group and connected by an enlarged passage the idea that street is more then the passage as the framework of neighborhood. The and developed it further as a horiontal and enlarged passage with an open courtyard is vertical neighborhood in their Genzyme called a “meeting cloister”14, which Center project, Cambridge, USA. Behnisch encourages girls to generate casual established an atrium into the center of the meetings. Scharoun attempted to “turn building as a trunk that spreads its circulation spaces into something more than “branches”---paths--- to all twelve levels, mere passages”15, Thus, the circulation is integrating all of the departments. The space carefully designed drops in level to surrounding the atrium abounds with various encourage communal discussion. terraces and gardens that encourage spontaneous meetings. Paths linking terraces Scharoun organized spaces based on the in the horizontal direction are comparatively neighborhood network in the community, to narrow, which recalls the experience of “a provide girls a sense of belonging and city with narrow streets and squares, with protection and then to help them understand space both narrow and broad, composing the idea of social responsibility. He created vistas and views into the height”18. adequate open spaces for girls’ collective Meanwhile, stairs around the atrium link activities and meeting opportunities and terraces between levels, as extended alleys realized the idea that circulation spaces is to integrate public space in the vertical “something more than mere passages”16. direction. (Fig.3)

Inspired by the street-like quality of the Geschwister School, German architect Peter Hübner conceived the new school as a village with the community network at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Hübner emphasized a concept of a family of rooms, rather than strictly functional combination. To recreate the neighborhood in the community, Hübner organized a series of public spaces on the main street for communication. The passage, beginning with the entrance, stretches itself through cafeteria, library, theater, cinema and chapel. Teaching spaces are designed as Fig.3 Genzyme Center, Cambridge, USA, Gunter shops on the street used by different groups Behnisch, Stefan Behnisch, Gunther Schaller,

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“Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner, Building and socialize, taking ownership of, and animating Design”, 2003 by Birkhauser, p.149 the public sphere. Comparing pedestrian streets with four outdoor public plazas in the Behnisch gave the building a distinct horizontal direction, Behnisch inserted hierarchy between the public space and the various scales of green gardens wrapping to private space. He delicately organized the whole residential buildings as open spaces public space around the atrium, as pubic for collective activities in the vertical gardens, reception, visitors waiting and direction. reading areas, and later developed space gradually from public to private by the arrangement of the open work station, private work areas, and closed offices. Social hierarchy divided workers into social groups and arranged them into various spaces. Behnisch aimed to create social identity to inform and reinforce a “we”19 feeling, and then developed the neighborhood between different workstations.

In addition, Green plants located at different levels create a vertical climate circle to refresh entire building. Workers Fig.4 RiverParc, Pittsburgh, USA, Greenmnp, “ spontaneously gather around green plants Behnisch Architekten –Pittsburgh RiverPark”, 2008 for rest and relaxation, which increases the by http://green.myninjaplease.com/?p=1272 opportunity for communication between workers. Recesses in the vertical direction Similar to Genzyme Center, he used stairs as result in incidental layers that perform as paths to link gardens to an integrated places for observation, as well as the place communication-system in the sky. (Fig.4) for being observed. They give people more This vertical garden network serves both as choices when they engage collective staggered spaces for occasional meeting activities. opportunities and as a micro-climate oasis to regulate the humidity in the summer and Behnisch continued to explore the idea of strong cold in the winter. Behnisch realized linking paths in horizontal and vertical his goals of rebuilding a pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in the RiverParc project. The “life in the sky”. RiverParc project, located at the downtown core of Pittsburgh, USA, is a mixed-use The case studies demonstrate several community that offers seven hundred important principles of re-establishing the residential units with retail shops, street life in new ways: 1. Public space along restaurants and leisure facilities. Behnisch the street can encourage people to aimed at creating an environment in which communicate and increase the opportunity of walking is a priority and the neighborhood collective activity; 2. The street life in the can thrive by intensive use of public space. vertical direction can be realized through At RiverParc community, Eighth Street is building public spaces with horizontal and paved for pedestrian to act as a community’s vertical neighborhoods; 3. Developing a spine to connect diverse public spaces such sense of belonging and protection can as the theater, restaurants, and shops, as reinforce social identity in the street life; 4. well as green gardens, and landscapes. Green spaces can be regarded as ideal People can satisfy their daily necessities meeting places for interpersonal including their jobs in the two-block walking communication. neighborhood without automobile. Behnisch believed, the pedestrian interaction and Rediscovery the street life in the general activities that occur daily along the Shikumen Residential Communities waterfront really engage a multitude of individuals and their varied interests.20 In the Shikumen residential community, Buildings incorporate abundant ground-floor there are two things we need to do: preserve amenities, so that public streets and squares the main streets in the community, and provide opportunities for neighbors to sit and develop the street life in multiple directions.

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The main streets, with the traditional scales of the street and the city fabric, are the most Spaces” 1980 by The Conservation Foundation, p. positive aspects to preserve and rebuild the 59 street life. Residences along the main streets 4 Yoshinobu Ashihara, “The Aesthetic Townscape”, can be used for cultural or commercial 1983 by the Massachusetts Institute of purposes, such as galleries, bookstores, Technology teahouses, and retail shops. Restaurants also 5 Also Rossi, “The Architecture of the City”, 1982 can be considered on the main streets, by The Institute for Architecture and Urban because “Food attracts people who attract Studies and The Massachusetts Institute of 21 more people.” The crossing space of the Technology, p.86 main or primary streets can be enlarged as 6 Rossi, p.86 meeting places with green plants and seating 7 Michael Southworth and Eran Ben-Joseph, p.37 areas. Residences surrounding the main 8 Michael Southworth and Eran Ben-Joseph, p.37 streets can be preserved in their initial form, 9 Rossi, p.85 while the rest of the area will build multiple 10 Peter Blundell Jones, “Hans Scharoun A dwellings and high-rise residential buildings Monograph”, 1978by Gordon Fraser, London, to increase community density. When you p.18 enter the community, you will experience the 11 Jones, p.18 traditional street life at the beginning of the 12 Jones, p.17 main or primary community streets. As you 13 Jones, p.18 move through the traditional preserved area, 14 Jones, p.18 you transition through spaces for collective 15 Jones, p.18 activities, and, then, to 4-5 new multiple 16 Jones, p.18 dwellings, and, finally, to high-rise residential 17 Peter Blundell Jones, Doina Petrescu and Jeremy buildings. Street life will not be dead at the Till, “Architecture and Participation”, 2005 by end of the alley, but thrive along its Spon Press, London and New York, p.161 increasing height. To enhance the sense of 18 Gunter Behnisch, Stefan Behnisch, Gunther belonging and protection, several families Schaller, “Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner, Building will form a small vertical neighborhood unit and Design”, 2003 by Birkhauser, p.155 in the sky, and share a green garden with 19 Gunter Behnisch, Stefan Behnisch, Gunther semi-public spaces for cooking and drying Schaller, p.78 clothing. Then stairs, sky-bridges, and paths 20 Greenmnp, “ Behnisch Architekten –Pittsburgh in the horizontal direction will link all green RiverPark”, 2008 by spaces into a walkable network to experience http://green.myninjaplease.com/?p=1272 street life vertically. 21 Whyte, p.34 22 Jane Jacobs, “The Death and Life of Great Jane Jacobs once said: “ Think of a city, and American Cities”, 1961 by Random House, New what comes to mind? Its streets. If a city’s York, p.29 streets look interesting, the city looks interesting; if they look dull, the city looks dull.”22 The street is a harmonious dialogue between the human and the place, and a unique bridge between collective memory and modern civilization. With the onset of globalization and industrial modernization, the street can be seen as a new way to give traditional communities a life in their new urban form.

1 Michael Southworth and Eran Ben-Joseph, “Streets And The Shaping Of Towns And Cities”, 1997 by McGraw-Hill, p.2 2 Rob Krier, “Urban Space” 1979 by Rizzoli International Publications. Inc, p.17 3 William H. Whyte, “The Social Life of Small Urban

Critical Commentary: The Intersection between Written Thesis and Design Thesis

Conclusion:

Throughout the thesis process, the focus of changes of Shanghai in the past a hundred my research is always to preserve the years. There are many renowned art character of the traditional street life within galleries, art studios and cafes along the the contemporary needs of economic street, endowed with “an open museum of growth and higher density requirements, Shang-style artwork”. It would be and organize the public and private spaces intriguing to preserve the artistic values of of contemporary Shanghai communities to the Duolun Road and lengthen the playful reflect traditional street life that promotes walking experience to the main streets of interpersonal and community interaction. the Duolun community. Another interesting Besides those four essential principles I character is that a new Subway Station is concluded in my written thesis, there has planned to be built on the western edge of two key concepts in my design process: the Duolun community, which will turn this Vertical Walking Experience and traditional community to a busy terminal Neighborhood Unit. open to the whole city.

The Vertical Walking Experience does not In terms of these considerations, three mean simply to rotate the walking plazas are arranged into the Duolun experience on the traditional street to the community on the eastern edge, the vertical direction. The Vertical Walking central part and the western edge of the Experience should be rooted on a walkable Duolun community, to respectively serve system, expanding both on the horizontal people from Duolun Road and other level and the vertical direction; meanwhile, communities surrounding the Duolun it should combine multiple traffic system community, those from the Duolun and public programs into an entity. This community, and from the whole city. Three walkable system can work well by itself main streets, acting as the framework of theoretically, but it is a challenge to allow the street life, connect different open it adapts to an existing context with spaces and public programs, bringing economical, political, social and cultural people the playful walking experience influences. Therefore, the site analysis is a originated from the Duolun Road to the fundamental and indispensable step in the terminal plaza. The end of the mains design process. streets is not the end of the walking experience. A walkable system grows on Duolun community, a traditional Shikumen the terminal plaza encourages people to go community, is located in the Hongkou up to the terminal, entertainment District, northern part of Shanghai. There programs and residential Neighborhood basically have two terms to describe the Units, extending their walking experience characters of the Duolun community: vertically. Duolun Road and Subway Station. Duolun Road is located at the eastern edge of the Another key word is the Neighborhood Unit, Duolun community. It is a very small street, which is the core concept through the but witnessed the historic and social whole design. According to the analysis of the traditional neighborhood in the Duolun community, it shows a good neighborhood has its appropriate size. It cannot be too large, which make people lose interests to communicate with their neighbors; while it cannot be too small either, which is hard to give people identity and a sense of belonging. Therefore, to build a good neighborhood, every three floors of the high-rise residential buildings are divided to constitute of a large Neighborhood Unit with three small Neighborhood Units. Each small Neighborhood Unit has eight to ten families, organized surrounding a courtyard with three floor height. The courtyard has its individual circulation and green space, performing as the passage as well as public space for observing and being observed. It builds an intangible bridge between the private life and the community, collecting vivid elements of life. People will spend time there on chatting, exercising, reading papers and playing chess, spontaneously and contingently. Besides, a walkable system, with public programs as the Daycare Center, Fitness Center, Chess Room and Teahouses, connects each courtyard at the back side and integrate them into an entity. Then, the vertical walking experience from public space to semi-public space and then to private space will realize the vertical urbanism with the street life as amazing as that on the ground level.

The complex and diverse street life is an interesting and profound topic to study. Based on the site-specifics, my project only develops one possibility of the beautiful transformation of the street life from the ground level to the vertical direction. I truly believe that vertically developing the street life that promotes interpersonal and community interaction can be a way of preserving the positive aspects of the traditional neighborhood as well as of increasing the density of communities.