UrbanLoopholes YingZhou Urban Loopholes CreativeAlliancesofSpatialProductioninShanghai’sCityCenter Birkhäuser Basel 6 Preface 14 UrbanTransformationinDiverseInner-cityNeighborhoodsinShanghai ForewordbyKeesChristiaanse 17 Chapter1:Introduction 22 TheContextoftheTransitionEconomyandtheChineseCity 30 ConceptualFramework:theUrbanLoophole 37 ResearchMethods 48 ExistingStudiesonUrbanChinainTransition 54 ContentandStructure 69 Chapter2:TheResidentialNeighborhood 80 SeedsofHousingMarketization,ForeignInvestment,and ReconnectingtotheWorld 86 StateInstitutions,HousingMarketization,andtheGapof Opportunity 90 ExpeditedKnow-HowImportandtheDualMarket 99 BeforetheTower:theLilong 106 OriginsoftheResidualConditions 111 PreservationofAmbiguousPropertyRights 118 DemographicShiftandCommercialSpatialDemand 126 IncrementalConversionsandSmallCreativeEntrepreneurs 129 ChangingHabitat 143 Chapter3:TheCulturalStreet 150 FromFirstRecognitionsofArchitecturalHeritageto Implementation 162 SettingtheContextforHeritagePolicyImplementation 170 TheOldHouseandtheClubHouse—ChangingMarketSupply andDemand 177 LocalizedCosmopolitansandtheDevelopingofLePassage FuxingandFergusonLane 185 ConservingHeritage:Lane1754(Aka1768)andLane117 198 The‘Western’DistrictandLearningfromthe‘BeautificationPlan’ 206 TheWorldPrimarySchoolandSmallEntrepreneurs 210 ApproximatingGlobalizationandtheState’sAppropriation 235 Chapter4:TheMidtownofChina 243 TheParagonofEconomicLiberalization:Jing’anDistrictandtheDevelopment ofWestNanjingLu 254 EvocationofHeritage—RedefiningJing’anVillas 261 Jing’anVillas’CommercializationandCreativeEnterprises 272 ThePrecedentofTianzifangforCommercialization 281 ThePublicRelationsWarsandtheDifferingVisionsofJing’anVillas’Future 287 TheNeighboringEn-BlocDevelopmentofDazhongli 296 ZhangGardens:Jing’anDevelopsItsHeritageValue 313 GentrificationwithChineseCharacteristics 335 Chapter5:TheNewEconomies 339 AlternativeBusinessPlanforCreativeIncubation:AnkenGreen 350 NewLocal-GlobalAlliances:theUpgradeofYongkangLu 364 TheNewEconomies 379 Chapter6:TheContemporaryArtEcologies 384 FromContestationtoAppropriation:theTransformationofM50 394 “MadeinChina”:NewMuseumsandtheBusinessofArt 400 UncertaintyandRegeneration 404 ArtandArchitectureCatalyzeDevelopment 408 ContemporaryArtEcologies 423 Chapter7:Outlook 425 CasesfromShanghaiandUrbanLoopholes 428 ShiftsintheUrbanLoopholesunderEconomicTransition 430 TheUrbanLoopholesasEquilibratorsandLearningFromtheUrbanLoophole 435 Acknowledgments 437 AbouttheAuthor 438 IllustrationCredits 441 IndexofPersons,Institutions,andFirms Preface “Ifwedon’tknowwherewecomefrom,wearestandingnowhere.” AiWeiwei,interviewwithEvanOsnosfortheNewYorkerFestival,2014 When I want to describe what it was like to live under the strictures of a socialist plannedeconomy,Iusuallystartwithafondmemoryoficecreamintheearly1980s. IntheswelteringsummersofShanghaibackthen,Iwouldexplain,thereweretwo kindsoficecreamtowhichachildlikemyselfcouldlookforward.Bothwerecubic blocks wrapped in thin wax paper packed in blue cardboard boxes, and opened to thecreamywhite‘icedbricks[冰砖]’withtheonlyflavorpossibletoicecreamachild ofthatplaceandthattimecouldknow.Thechoicebetweenthe‘medium-sizedbrick [中砖]’andthe‘large-sizedbrick[大砖]’wasanobviousone,althoughIhadtoweigh themeltingspeedofthelargerpieceagainsttheinfrequencyofrefrigeratorsinthecity. Icecreamissomethingtowhichalmosteveryonereadingthiscanrelate.Iuseice creamtoexplainbecausetheabundancerepresentedbythecontemporarydiversity offlavors,sizes,types,nottomentionplaceswhereonecouldprocurethem,issome- thingthatweoftentakeforgranted.Mylimitedscopeoficecreamcorrespondedwith adrawn-outerainChinesehistorywhencentralplanninghadalsocontrolledevery aspectofdailylife,fromconsumerproductsandhousingtoeducationandjobs.Itiso- latedthevastcountryofbillionsfromthechangingoutsideworld.Centralplanning andthepoliticalideologiesofsocialismareabstractconcepts.Buttheavailabilityand choiceoficecreamisaconcrete,livedexperience.Fromourperspectiveoflivingin globallyconnectedmarketeconomies,wherehavingchoicesisagiven,afundamental reflectiononthetremendoustransformationsthathavetakenplaceinChina,bring- ingitfromoneofsocialistplanningtomarketcapitalism,ormoreconcretelyfrompre- ciouslylimitedtooverwhelmingchoicesforicecream,iscrucialtoanyfurtherstudies ofthecountry,andothersimilarlymanagedplacesintheworldtoday. Iuseicecreamtoexplain,also,because,asanarchitect,Iamalsointerestedinthe placewhereIhadlinedupattheDairyFactory[牛奶棚].Today,itiswherethewhite tiledmammothoftheShanghaiLibrarystands.LikemanypartsofthecityofShanghai thathaveundergonecompleterenewalsincetheearly1990s,theneighborhood—my memoriesoficecreamqueuestookplacehere—whichhadbeenasuburbanedgeof the1980scity,hasalsobecomecentrallylocatedprimerealestateintheexpansive metropolisofShanghaitoday.Intheproliferationofconsumerchoicesandthespatial expansionwithinthethreedecadessinceeconomicliberalizationbegan,thetransfor- mationsofShanghaihavebeentremendous.Thetransformationsinthemunicipalre- gionofmorethantwenty-plusmillionareembodiedinmymemoryofthoseicecream blocks.Fromthehumbleandlocallyproducedblue-packagedGuangmingbrand,the onlyoneatthetime,totoday’ssnazzyHäagen-Dazsparlors,fro-yobars,icedmoon- cakefads,andwhatnot,notonlyhasconsumerism,propelledbyglobally-circulated capitalism,returnedandblossomed;buttogetherwithpoliciesanddevelopmentsthat havemadeitallpossible,ithasresultedinlocallyspecificurbanspatialproductions thathavefundamentallyreshapedthecity.Boththechangingurbansocietyandits spatialtransformationsareimportanttotheensuingstudy.(Fig.1)Throughlensesspe- 6 Fig.1PhotocollageofDengXiaopingfromalargemuralfeaturingtheskylineofShenzhenandrepresenting China’seconomicliberalizationaspropelledbytheDeng-ledcentralgovernment,withtheskylineofShanghai’s BundandPudong,representingthecentralgovernment’sdecisiontomakeShanghaithe‘Dragon’sHead’of thenation,initiatingacceleratedeconomicmarketizationandtherapidurbantransitionthattookplace (photocollagebyauthor) cifictothedisciplineofarchitectureandurbandesign,thefollowingpiecewilltryto unpackhowthemechanismsofurbanspatialproductionfacilitatedandmanifested therapidgrowth,transformations,andglobalizationinthecontemporaryChinesecity ofShanghai.Itisfromtheempiricallygatheredphysicalandsocial-economicmanifes- tationsoftheeverydaythatthestudyofurbanspatialproductionrevealsthebroader developmentinthepoliticaleconomyofrapidlychangingcities. IamoftheurbangenerationborninthedecadeafterthedeathofChina’sgreat leaderMao, and my memories span fromtheonesbeforemewho experienced the famines of the Great Leap Forward and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution and thosewhocameaftermeknowingonlytherapidgrowthandchangeofeconomiclib- eralization.Iwasaprivilegedchild.Ilivedinacity,andarelativelywell-offonefor thethenimpoverishedChina.Myfamilyhadarefrigeratorinanerawhenappliances werelimitedandboughtonlythroughforeigncurrencyexchangecertificatesprocured fromoverseaswires.Ilivedinaflatthat,thoughcrowdedbyWesternstandards,was notsharedwithtwoorthreeotherfamiliesandwasnotshortonmoderninfrastruc- ture.Thewinterswerecold,forallindoorheatingapplianceshadbeenremovedby thepost-LiberationdecreeforcitiessouthoftheYangtzeRiver.Unscientificthough itclearlywas,theauthoritieshadperhapsreallybelievedthatcentralplanningcould ce a evenovercometheweatherandthatthemassiveregionsouthofYangtzedidnotneed Pref 7 heating.Nevertheless,withicecreamcamesummer,andthencamethefridge,wash- ingmachine,television,andeventelevisionshows,ononesinglechannel.Compared withwhenIwasborn,withmymother’shukoustillnotreturnedtoShanghaiafter havingbeensenttothecountrysidelikemillionsofotherurbanyouths,andfoodwas rationedandcouponsforagriculturalproductswerestillthecurrencyofexchangefor thesocialistplannedeconomy,lifewasimproving. Iwasfortunatetogrowupinthetimesofchange,changeforthebetternonethe- less.WithDisney’sSnowWhiteandRomySchneider’sPrincessSissishowingatthecin- emas,andjeansandsneakersappearinginstreetmarkets,notonlywasChinanolon- gertormentedbypoliticalupheavalsandideologicalwarsthattooktremendoustollon theordinarypeople’severydaylives,butcities,particularlythoselikeShanghai,were usingtheircosmopolitanpaststoreconnecttotheoutsideworld.Inthemidstofthe tremendouschangestocomethough,Ileftthecountry,withmyparents.Likemanyin Shanghaiwhohadpre-1949familiallinkstotheWest,atranscontinentalchangebod- edlife’sevenbetterbetterment.Itwasonlywhenwewatchedthehopesthathadunit- edtheidealisticstudentsandpragmaticworkersdashed,intheTiananmenSquareof 1989,fromthesafetyinfrontofourtinybutcoloredCNN-loopingtelevision,thatmy parents,likemanyChinesestudentswhohadonlyplannedonashortsojourninthe U.S. beforereturning,decidedindeedtoremainawayfromtheircountry.Itwasthe clarityofthatdefiningevent—perhapsmagnifiedbythecommentariessoopenlyut- tered—ratherthantherepeateduncertaintiesthattheyhadsufferedinthedecades before,thatconvincedthemofthechoice.Itwas,asIwouldonlyrealizelater,alsofor myfuture.Iwassparedthetraumaofthe1990sstate-ownedenterprise(SOE)layoffs andthemadoptimismofdemolitionandurbanrenewals.ButafteranEastCoastlib- eralartseducationandstintsincitieslikeNewYork,Boston,Basel,Iwouldarrivein Shanghai,realizingthatIhaveanunderstandingofChina’sinherentlogicandanout- sider’seyethatsawmanythingsthatmostwhoremainedcouldnot. ItwasearlyoneeveninginDamascus,inthefallof2009.Iwasteachingandhadin towtwelvearchitecturestudents.Inotedoutloudthatthestreetwewerewalking downremindedmeofShanghai.Indaylight,thepeople,thesignage,thebuildings, surelywouldhavegivenawaythatIwasnotonHuaihaiLu,ortheformerAvenue Joffre.Butintheearlydusklight,theproportionofspacesdupedmyabilitytodiscern thecity.Whenwecontinuedontootherboulevardsthenextday,myvisceralconfu- sionofplaceswasconfirmed,bytherealizationthatthosetreeswereplatanus.(Fig.2) Theirdistanceapart,theirrelationstothesidewalk,thesetbackofthebuildingsand theproportionsoftheroadtothearchitecture,theirroleinthebeautificationofthe citywerepartofthespatialvocabularyforurbanismoftheFrenchmandateinDa- mascus.TheplatanuswerealsothesameonesinShanghai.Inthewestern-endofthe formerFrenchconcessionswhereIwasbornandgrewup,thetreeshadlovinglycan- opiedoverthefreshlytarmackedstreetsinthesummers.Theconvergenceoftheim- agesmademerealizetheplanningideologiesthathadshapedmineandmanyothers’ memoriesofcities. OtherthingswelearnedinourtwoweeksinDamascusalsomademerealizethat Icouldunderstanditsurbanism.ThiswasnotonlybecauseIunderstandalreadyits coloniallegaciesandplanningideologies;butalsobecauseIunderstandthelogicof 8 Fig.2PhotosoftheplatanustreesfromDamascus,whichtriggeredthetheoreticalframeworkforthisstudy,2009 anothernationwithatransitioningeconomy,China,whosecityalsomanifestedits encounterwithmodernity,Shanghai.Itwasanotherstrangelyconfirmingmoment, whenoneofmystudents,agirlfromChongqing,burstintotearsasthedeanofDamas- cusUniversityexplainedtheirurbantransformationprocesses.Shewasdistressedat howsimilarlythedescriptionssoundedtotheonesweknewfromChina.Growingin- equalitydeviatingfromtheoriginaltenetsofsocialism,therampantcommodification ofarchitectureheritage,thedevelopmentprojectsonextra-territoriallandsbyglob- alcapital.Theprocessesofchangethatthecountryisundergoingfollowingitseco- nomicliberalization,andspecificallyitsurbanspatialmanifestations,echoedtheones weknew.Theconceptofthe‘urbanloophole,’whichwillbetheunderlyingredthread throughtheensuingtext,grewoutofmyobservationsfromDamascus,butwouldbe- comeanimportantconceptualframeworkfordeepeningtheunderstandingofhow theurbanspatialproductionprocessesinformedandwereimpressedbyatransition- ingpoliticaleconomy.Thefirstinklingsoftheurbanloopholecameoutinanarticlein theissuethemed“ResilientCities”inthejournal,CriticalPlanning,in2010. Shanghai,thus,cameeasilyasthechosensiteforadeeperstudyusingthisna- scentconceptualframework.Assomeonewithintimateknowledgeofthecity’spal- ettes,memories,culture,aswellasmyundetectablylocaldialect,doorsopenedmore readilyandmoreeasilyformethanfortransplantedscholars,evenChineseones.Ihad ce a gleanedenoughtounderstandthetickingofthecity.Myempathiesasaninsiderare Pref 9
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