Public space and its publicness in people-oriented urban regeneration: A case study of Shanghai

The paper explores the role of public space development in helping Shanghai strive for an “excellent global city,” an ambition prescribed by the city’s latest master plan, through quality- and people-oriented urban regeneration. Drawing on qualitative data collected for two case studies, namely the Huangpu River waterfront public space connection project and the community public space micro-regeneration initiative, the research discusses the publicness of these publicly produced public spaces with an extended place-shaping continuum as analytical framework. The research finds that public space development in present-day Shanghai, essentially a state project shaped by specific local ambitions and forces, not only opens up physical space for citizens’ daily enjoyment but also materializes the people-oriented ideals through the design and delivery of public spaces and discursively supports the city’s visionary narratives of building an “excellent global city.” This reflects the multifacetedness of publicness and complex scenarios of publicization, re-publicization and de-publicization.