Mimicry in the Suburbs

Jan 13, 2014

Today, we abandoned the center of the city to see what Shanghai was doing on its outskirts.

Increased crowding and traffic have inspired the city to experiment with satellite cities on its periphery.  The idea is to make these new areas attractive enough to draw the rising middle class out of the dense city center and create new mini-metropolises each with their own distinct culture.  The plan seems logical... the execution, as can be expected, a bit quirky.

The satellite cities have all adopted European themes.  We visited only three of them today along the west side of the city, beginning in Scandinavia town (Luodian or Meilan Hu), moving south to German town (Anting) and finally ending up in British Thames Town (Songjiang).  Architects and developers did extensive research abroad on just how they wanted the new city centers to look.  Prominent landmarks from the three countries and residential types were replicated to lend an exotic foreign flavor to these new areas.

While the architectural and functional successes of each city widely varied, what we first saw along the central avenue of Luodian describes a general trend, as we observed it.  After crossing a quaint wooden bridge and passing through a stale shopping mall lobby, we stepped into one of the city's main squares.  It was a ghost town. Scanning through the square, we saw all the signs of premature decay, the result of lousy materials and hasty work.  Instead of sunny porches and sparkling windows, we saw laundry, ladders and rubbish piling up.  Mops were hanging out to dry.  AC and heating units blighted the exteriors.  A space age chimney snaked up the back of one building--I swore I saw some duct tape holding it together in the middle.

Contrary to advertisement, there was no bustling and friendly community.  No lively retail space.  Commercial property was slowly being taken over by local tea, photography and convenience shops.  The charming foreign facade was literally peeling away from the city's structures.  Luodian was falling apart and getting a makeover by its inhabitants who cared nothing for its central theme.  If this reversion was artful and intentional, it would be one thing.  Unfortunately, it just seems like a few squatters moved in and threw some furniture and blankets around.  On the bright side, there were some nice new tall apartment buildings being constructed around the dying city center.  Naturally they weren't European-themed, but another version of the latest blocky, East-West fusion style popular in the luxury Xintiandi blocks of the former French Concession downtown.  Luodian may rise again, but it won't be on the novelty of Swedish construction.

Chinese want to live in areas and houses that make sense to them.  That is abundantly clear in Luodian, Anting and Songjiang, and probably elsewhere.