Green is gold in space-savvy downtown Shanghai

Residents benefit from city's greenways and efforts to tackle air pollution

Apart from the rehabilitation of water bodies, Shanghai residents have also witnessed the introduction of more green spaces for public leisure and sightseeing, as well as the improvement of air quality.

At the end of 2017, the redevelopment of the Huangpu River reached a new milestone when the riverfronts on both sides were integrated with a 45-kilometer walking trail marked by riverside parks and art museums open to the public. This scenic stretch is often referred to as the city's "No. 1 Greenway".

The Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau compared the city's network of greenways to "intricate vines growing in the modern concrete jungle", connecting residential neighborhoods, parks and facilities for sports and culture.

Fang Yan, deputy head of the bureau, said: "The pathways are a public benefit, and their popularity has strengthened our conviction that green is gold, too."

The forest coverage rate in Shanghai reached more than 16 percent at the end of 2017, and the current goal is to raise the figure to 25 percent by 2040, according to the Shanghai Forestry Bureau. The city will attempt to do this by constructing ecological forest barriers, national and country parks, and protecting the coastal ecology and beaches along rivers. 

In terms of air quality, Shanghai had nearly 300 blue sky days — when the air quality was rated "excellent" or "good" — last year, the highest since 2013. 

The average concentration of PM2.5, or airborne pollutant particles with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, was 36 micrograms per cubic meter, dropping 7.7 percent from 2017. 

This meant that the city had accomplished its planned target of reducing the average annual PM2.5 levels to 37 micrograms per cubic meter by 2020 ahead of time, according to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment. 

To showcase its nature, since 2012 the Shanghai government has been recommending the city's best boulevards for visitors to admire the greenery.

"Green spaces and flowers help to create a more cheerful and dynamic atmosphere for the city as their colors change with the seasons," said Fu Guohua, a Chinese Canadian who is general manager of KFS Design International Shanghai.