The Master Plan of Shanghai started at early 1920s and it was only implemented in the 1980s after a

series of careful study and a number of drafts has been made. The plan bears the theme, “ City, People,
Environment and Development”. It was a collaborative effort between the Construction and Engineering
Bureau and known architects of China to craft a plan to address the challenges of the city which includes
increasing population density, congestion and scarcity in human settlements as a result of people
flocking from rural areas to the city. This is what I learned during a video presentation about Shanghai’s
Urban planning.

To address the population density and scarcity in human settlements, I observed that Shanghai built a
number of high storey buildings accommodating thousands of households. Congestion and traffic was
perhaps addressed with the creation of conventional subways with intersecting 16 lines and having
metro trains with a speed of 35-40km/hr all over Shanghai. Moreover, take also into account the
presence of Maglev Train or the Magnetic Levitation train, the fastest commercially operating train
having a speed of 430kph.This explains why I didn’t notice any traffic in their major roads, perhaps, it is
due to the fact that most of the transportation activity was happening at the subway.

As we casually stroll and explore the streets of Shanghai, we can’t help but notice (and admire) how the
city was planned as one of the walkable cities in the world. One can notice the wide path for (estimate
of 4 meters) with a designated area/path for the blind. The streets were lined with greens adding a cozy
ambience to the place.