By Yin Jianhua
Recently, the “Special Plan for Layout of Commercial Space in Shanghai (2021-2035)” was publicized. According to the publicity draft, facing 2035, Shanghai will accelerate the construction of the central node of the domestic cycle and the strategic link of the domestic and international dual cycle, and build a socialist modern international metropolis with world influence on the whole.
In the "4 + X + 2" commercial space system in Shanghai, the North Bund and North Sichuan Road in Hongkou District are listed as municipal commercial centers.
Among them, the North Bund Commercial Center, together with East Nanjing Road, West Nanjing Road, Zhangyang Road (Mini Lujiazui), Middle Huaihai Road and Yu Garden Shopping Mall, will compose of the international consumption cluster area of east area, which will take the "Golden Triangle" functional area at the junction of "Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek" as the core, and link up all kinds of high class consumption space such as surrounding culture, tourism, sports, leisure, finance, health care and etc.
According to the publicity draft, the "4 + X + 2" commercial space system includes a level 4 business center composed of "international consumption cluster, municipal business center, regional business center and community business". The international consumption cluster is the core bearing area for Shanghai to build an international consumption center city. It faces domestic and international wide area and ultra-wide area consumers, amplifies the spillover effect of China International Import Expo, attracts high-end commercial brands and resources at home and abroad, provides international and top-level comprehensive consumption services, and integrates functions such as upscale shopping, culture, tourism, finance and commerce, leisure and entertainment, hotel exhibition, health and pension, gathers international and domestic high-quality products, leads the fashion consumption trend, has global and portal characteristics in terms of goods and services, customers and brand merchants, displays Chinese business characteristics and consumption culture, and reflects the highest level of consumption experience in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, some areas in Hongkou will be planned to be built into a world-class waterfront nightlife experience area. In Shanghai's "1 + 15 + X" nighttime economic spatial layout system, relying on "Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek" and some key areas of Pudong New Area, Huangpu District, Jing'an District and Hongkou District, we will respectively build a waterfront nighttime economic vitality belt and a core vitality circle of urban nightlife, which will centrally carry the core functions of finance, culture, innovation, recreation of the global 24-hour city, and show the characteristics and charm of the city at night.
What kind of international model will the North Bund Commercial Center become? According to the introduction of the Hongkou District Commission of Commerce, during the period of 14th Five-year Plan, focusing on the overall goal of building a modern international metropolis central urban area suitable for living, working and traveling, the North Bund will promote the construction of international tourism consumption urban area with the linkage of business, tourism, culture and conference, online and offline, domestic trade and foreign trade, to create a "world-class waterfront reception hall" with high-energy commerce, high-quality consumption and high-value landscape, which will become a new landmark of fashion consumption that gathers trendy brands, people and products, so as to help Shanghai build an international consumption center city.
Up to now, commercial carriers such as Sinar Mas Plaza and RafflesCity, the Bund have been built in the North Bund area. By 2025, a commercial construction area of 500,000 square meters will be added in the North Bund area, which will focus on the advantages of waterfront resources at the intersection of "Huangpu River and Suzhou River", adhere to the linkage of water and bank, port and city, and business, tourism, culture and conference, and form three characteristic functional sections along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, namely the high-end commercial and business core area in the middle, the waterfront trendy lifestyle area in the west and the Tilanqiao historical and cultural experience area in the east.
In the central part, More than 10 super high-rise office buildings, pedestrian walkways and public activity spaces planned to be built around RafflesCity, the Bund, Sinar Mas Plaza, SIIC Center, Air China Center, SIPG Cruise City, International Cruise Terminal Station and 59 neighborhoods, forming a high-end comprehensive business district.
Hongkou is to build a business initiative line along the East Changzhi Road, form a cluster development effect through the dislocation and linkage development of the project, form a cluster of high-star hotels and flagship stores of international famous brands by focusing on introducing international top brands and Michelin restaurants, layout top-level cultural experience projects, and improve the service functions of international conferences and meetings.
At the same time, taking advantage of the Central Park and slow traffic system, Hongkou will create public space nodes, optimize the underground connectivity of key projects, optimize the flow of people and business atmosphere, and create a world-class reception hall with top supporting services.
In the west, relying on the riverside space connection and upgrading project of North Suzhou Road, Hongkou plans to build pedestrian blocks, integrate project resources such as Sino US Trust Finance Building, Bellagio by MGM Shanghai and Landmark Center, as well as surrounding ecological and cultural resources such as riverside public space and Shanghai Post Museum, accelerate the development and construction of projects of Shanshouli and Machang Road, and develop new business formats such as brand concept stores, buyer stores, trendy brand studios, designer brand stores, cultural and creative art studios, lifestyle collection stores, theme restaurants, music bars, national fashion consumption, introduce fashion press conferences, designer brand shows, theme art exhibitions, creative fairs, late night canteens, and etc., enrich weekend and night cultural festivals, and create a top fashion center with both Shanghai-style cultural heritage and fashion modern experience.
In the east, relying on Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum, Xiahai Temple and the reconstruction project of Tilanqiao Prison, combined with the micro renewal of small-scale open block space, Hongkou will build a small commercial and leisure street with historical context, explore and develop new commercial formats such as bonded diamond processing, art trading and exhibition, introduce micro commercial museums, art experience halls, coffee and light food restaurants and cultural and creative IP stores, and develop the urban boutique micro tour route of "Shanghai style cultural discovery tour", create a new landmark of Shanghai style with the characteristics of interactive development of experience commerce and historical and cultural resources, integrating the functions of historical and cultural punch in, theme cultural and creative exhibition and marketing, leisure and entertainment experience and so on.
In the area of night economy, Hongkou will also promote the introduction of night business merchants and night cultural and art projects in business districts such as the North Bund waterfront, Ruihong Tiandi and Hongkou Football Stadium, create a number of characteristic night activities such as the riverside market, the wine market and the HOST market, promote the business agglomeration of night shopping, entertainment, fitness, reading, exhibition and tour, and create a number of branded and iconic business, travel and sports projects.
The Hongkou District Commission of Commerce said that it would give full play to the advantages of new product launch platforms such as the North Bund and 1933 Old Millfun, to attract more market entities to hold night themed activities and create night activity landmarks. It will explore the pilot of "external booths" of shops along the street in a limited area at a specific time at night, develop diversified business models such as night fairs and activity stalls, and strive to solve the problems of lack of overnight business areas, conflict of external booth law enforcement, imperfect traffic facilities at night and complex activity approval process, so as to improve the atmosphere of night economy.