Jinmao Dasha tower by SOM--one of the tallest buildings in the world at 1379 feet

Shanghai Financial Center by KPF--another of the tallest buildings in the world at 1509 feet.

Some of the many "minor" towers at 40-50 stories

Dense towers of multifamily housing

Lower density housing from early stages of Pudong development

Large parks and grad boulevards are interspersed with the towers.

There are also impressive cultural facilities in Pudong like this performing arts center by Paul Andreu.

Before 1990 Pudong was one of the poorest districts in Shanghai, full of squalid slums and industrial plants belching polluted air.  Just 20 years ago it was declared a Special Economic Zone and became one of the largest building sites in the world–at one point reputed to have been home to one-third of the world’s largest cranes.  Now it is a forrest of skyscrapers with freeways, boulevards and parks at ground level.

Shanghai has over 4000 high rise buildings exceeding 20 stories making it one of the densest cities in the world.  It has a remarkable subway and fast train system that has come all-at-once along with the building boom.  The results in terms of urban are both frightening and fascinating.

We try so hard in American cities to get an active pedestrian street scene to happen.  In China, with a billion people and 17 million in Shanghai alone, there never seems to be an issue with action on the street day or night.  And, of course, where there are people around, cool things just seem to happen serendipitously.  On Nanjing Dong Lu in downtown Shanghai the mixture of aggressive retailers, garish signs, bustling crowds and lots of hawkers is complimented by ballroom dancing in the street and slackers just hanging out.  What a scene!

We try so hard in American cities to get an active pedestrian street scene to happen.  In China, with a billion people and 17 million in Shanghai alone, there never seems to be an issue with action on the street day or night.  And, of course, where there are people around, cool things just seem to happen serendipitously.  On Nanjing Dong Lu in downtown Shanghai the mixture of aggressive retailers, garish signs, bustling crowds and lots of hawkers is complimented by ballroom dancing in the street and slackers just hanging out.  What a scene!

Zhouzhuang, west of Shanghai, and Tongli, southeast of Shanghai, seem light years away from the city.  They bear the deep patina of time as much as Shanghai gleams with newness.  It is amazing how timeless and universal the principals of town building are.  The narrow streets and canals and stone buildings are not so different from what one might find in a fine old French, Italian or German village.  But glimpses into the alleys, courtyards and open doors of houses give a strong sense of China.  Mao’s picture still hangs in older people’s homes.  Unfamiliar grains, fruits and vegetables populate the markets.  Old guys relax in a deep squat chatting with each other.

Canal in Tongli has impressive stonework built to last.

Even old people seem tough and hard working.

Guys just hanging out in a shop.

Candy maker pulverizing nuts.

Pulling a taffy-like sweet.

There is a quiet serenity away from the center of Zhouzhuang.

Age seems to make buildings better, not deteriorated.

Gorgeous stonework creeps through the aging stucco.

Paving is extraordinary in these small towns--sometimes massive stone slabs, sometimes delicate and intricate patterns.

Boats are a major means of transport.

What a contrast with the fast pace and crowds of Shanghai!

Much of the work takes place in alleys and courtyards.

I am actually getting to the point I prefer those colorful plastic containers in the market to the traditional straw ones.

Chickens are ubiquitous in rural China.

Mao's picture, once a fixture in most Chinese households, is now relegated to older people's homes.

We try so hard in American cities to get an active pedestrian street scene to happen.  In China, with a billion people and 17 million in Shanghai alone, there never seems to be an issue with action on the street day or night.  And, of course, where there are people around, cool things just seem to happen serendipitously.  On Nanjing Dong Lu in downtown Shanghai the mixture of aggressive retailers, garish signs, bustling crowds and lots of hawkers is complimented by ballroom dancing in the street and slackers just hanging out.  What a scene!