Life in Different Cities: Shanghai, China

"China’s largest city is Shanghai, a major commercial and industrial center and one of the world’s largest ports. It is located in east-central China, on the coast of the East China Sea between the mouth of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) to the north and Hangzhou Bay to the south. Historically, Shanghai’s development waxed and waned as it competed with other ports at the mouth of the Yangtze ... "

"Shanghai, situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is China's largest city. The city's development in the past few decades has made it one of the most important economic, commercial, financial and communications centers of China ... "

"Geographers who have studied the growth of China’s cities over the past four decades tend to sum up the pace of change with one word: unprecedented. In 1960, about 110 million Chinese people—or 16 percent of the population—lived in cities. By 2018, the numbers had increased to 820 million and 59 percent ... "

"Urbanist media can’t seem to get enough of the megacity these days. Much of the commentary surrounding this topic is disconcertingly celebratory about these leviathans despite such phenomena as overcrowding, high levels of congestion and sprawling slums ... "

"Many of Asia’s megacities like Yokohama, Jakarta and Mumbai are facing the heat of uncontrolled rural⎯urban migration and exploding population which is putting pressure on its infrastructure and environment ... "

"Two Chinese megacities implemented population caps last year – and official data shows the policy might already be having an effect. In the weaving alleys of Shanghai’s Laoximen district, swathes of residential buildings sit empty. The historic area in the heart of the city is being slowly demolished, and many residents have already abandoned it, leaving behind rows of traditional terraced houses with boarded-up windows and demolition signs on the doors ... "

"As a shorthand for the staggering size of Shanghai, China’s largest city, consider this: Most cities strive to extend a subway to the airport, positioned out at the edge of the urban fringe ... "