By Professor of Practice George Frantz
Ten students in Prof. George Frantz’s Shanghai Field Study course spent their Spring Break in an intimate exploration of Shanghai and contemporary urban planning issues the city is grappling with. In addition to hiking through neighborhoods including Old City lilongs slated for demolition, early 20th-century Shikumen and French Concession villas, post-Liberation xincun (new villages), early 21st century suburbs and Nanhui New City, the students visited the modern commercial centers of Wujiaochang, Xujiahui, and Pudong.
In addition, the Cornell contingent was briefed by urban design students in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University on their analysis of conditions in Nanhui New City. The Tongji University students are engaged in a parallel urban design course and project in Nanhui New City, under the direction of Professors Daixin Dai and Nannan Dong. The Cornell students then spent a day in Nanhui conducting their own site documentation.
The group was hosted by CRP alumnae Min Bu (MRP/MLA) for a tour of the Lujiahui financial district in Pudong and visit the offices of her employer, Shanghai Urban Construction Design Research Institute, a large planning and design firm.
There was also the opportunity to discuss working in Shanghai over dinner with CRP alumni Qing Cheng (M.A.H.P.P. ’15), Mingxi Pan (M.S.Regional Science ’17), Xiaowei Zhang (M.R.P. ’11), Yi Zhang (M.R.P. ’17) and Minxuan Zou (M.A.Regional Science ’17)
In addition to the six days in Shanghai, the students took a high-speed train to the historic city of Suzhou to tour its streets, temples and classical gardens.
Students who participated in the field trip are Maurice Bradford (URS), Jabari Jordan-Walker (MRP), Shiyu Kong (URS), Lela Robinson (URS), Yuncheng Wang (URS) Nan Xie (MRP), Rui Yin (MRP), Jane Yoon (Hotel), Yixian Zhou (MRP), Jiayun Zou (MRP)