Liveable streets in Shanghai: Definition, characteristics and design

Abstract

This monograph focuses on the concept of ‘liveable streets’ in China. It has firstly developed an analytical framework with a hierarchy of liveability qualities, factors, and specific indicators for Shanghai. The framework was initially informed by the literature and then refined through questionnaires and interviews with urban development professionals in China (n = 107). Interviews with residents (n = 242) on residential streets were also conducted. The research applied and tested the framework’s usefulness in practice on fifteen selected street segments. According to their historical-morphological characteristics, the selected streets are categorised as S, M, L, XL, and XXL streets. The study reveals many physical and functional characteristics of streets that are conducive to vibrant social life, particularly manifested in the S and M streets in Shanghai. The analytical framework developed through this research informs a localised definition of liveable streets, and the design and planning of liveable streets in China.