An artist's rendition of the North Bund waterfront in Hongkou District.

The North Bund waterfront along the Huangpu River will become a world-class riverside ecological space featuring international communities, car-free pedestrian zones and preserved historic buildings.

Shanghai's urban planning authority has released a development blueprint for the North Bund area and is soliciting public opinion through March 20.

The area, in the southern part of Hongkou District, covers about 4 square kilometers within the confines of Henan Road N., Haining-Zhoujiazui Road, Dalian Road as well as the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.

The riverside region was the city’s earliest harbor for both cargo and passenger transportation. The British East India Company built the first cargo dock at Xujiatan beach, near what is now the North Bund, in 1845.

When workers loaded cargo there in the 1950s, the sirens of ships could be heard from far away. It served as a major cargo transport hub until the 1990s when other ports were developed in the city’s Pudong New Area and northern Baoshan District.

According to the blueprint, the riverside business district will include lifestyle and recreation elements and more convenient transport. It will focus on the ecological environment and develop more public space for residents and tourists.

The area will also boast a characteristic appearance blending modern high-rises and historical buildings, mainly around the Tilanqiao area and Hongkougang River.

Highlighted historical structures include the Shanghai Postal Building, a Baroque-style structure built in 1924, and the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum with the historic Ohel Moishe Synagogue inside.

The North Bund area covers about 4 square kilometers in Hongkou District.

International community

Smart technologies will be widely applied in the area, which is being developed into a hub for applications of 5G technologies.

The riverside space will remain focus on the shipping and finance sectors, with additional office buildings for multinational headquarters. It will also develop supplementary businesses such as exhibitions, education, culture, hotel and life services.

An international community to accommodate 70,000 international professionals will be built along the river, with sports and recreation, health and medical as well as international education facilities to serve the residents.

As a highlight, a "slow walking zone" covering 500,000 square meters has been planned in the region.

Half of the zone will be vehicle-free to allow citizens to fully enjoy the public space in the heart of the business district, according to the blueprint.

More convenient public transport, such as subway lines and buses, will connect the North Bund with the Bund in Huangpu District and Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area.

Planners have researched the global urban planning experiences and practices in London, New York and Tokyo to make the master plan, according to the Hongkou District Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau.

Detailed development plans have been publicized on the website of Hongkou District government to solicit public opinion. People can send suggestions to the bureau at 518 Feihong Road by March 20.