Innovation is the only way to win. —Steve Jobs

Oxford, Cambridge graduates help build international neighborhood

The elites of Oxford and Cambridge brought internationally leading urban renewal concepts and provided suggestions for the new life of the Gubei international neighborhood during a seminar on January 14.

Oxford University and Cambridge University alumni Xu Tong, Zhang Qi, Chen Tianzhen, and Li Yukun, who are engaged in urban renewal related work, respectively focused on “Green and Low Carbon Life in International Communities,” “Infinite Possibilities of Citywalk in Urban Renewal,” “New Colors brought by Traditional Intangible Cultural Heritage to International Communities,” and “City Monopoly-Games and Residents Building International New Communities Together,” with an international perspective through cutting-edge theories and diverse perspectives.

They shared excellent practices in urban renewal between China and foreign countries with guests, jointly exploring potential cooperation opportunities and projects that can accelerate the promotion of urban renewal. 

By integrating advanced technology and innovative thinking, they provided suggestions for building a sustainable and livable people’s city for the Gubei international neighborhood.

Space under bridge turns into ‘super pipe’

Since the opening of the “Suhe Super Pipe” under the Jiangsu Road N. Bridge on January 1, this multi-functional and brightly colored waterfront public space has become a new “popular check-in spot,” attracting people to take photos and play.

The “Suhe Super Pipe” under the Jiangsu Road N. Bridge across the Suzhou Creek is at the junction of Changning, Jing’an, and Putuo districts. Originally, its surroundings were sealed off by walls. 

In order to release more public activity space and facilitate pedestrian walkways under the bridge, Changning renovated the approximately 1,883 square meters of space under the bridge through urban renewal. 

On the basis of not damaging the bridge pillars and not changing the stability of the bridge structure, the space under the bridge was with surrounding walls demolished, footpath, non-motorized vehicle lanes, and motor vehicle lanes installed to achieve pedestrian and vehicle separation. 

At the same time, parking areas for non-motorized vehicles are also being added in the surrounding area to comprehensively create a waterfront public space that is accessible and approachable.

Taking inspiration from the structure of bridge columns and industrial pipelines, and with the design theme of “Suhe Super Pipe,” using bright colors and unique geometric lines, the array of bridge columns and the geometric sense of ground paving are strengthened to inherit the cultural context and retain the memory of the city. 

In the process of updating and creating, in order to enhance the sense of industry and showcase the historical changes of industrial development along the Suzhou Creek the devices and structures were abstractly designed as pipeline shapes, and high saturation colors were continued to be painted. Leisure and amusement facilities with the imprint of the times were also added.

Auspicious ‘dragon’ everywhere in Changning

As the Year of the Dragon approaches, distinctive beauty display devices are gradually appearing in major commercial circles and streets of Changning. While people are eager to buy in Changning, they can slow down and experience the strong New Year flavor up close.

New home to China-Chic tea’s global business

The China-Chic tea beverage brand Chagee signed with Changning on January 19 to set up its global business center in the district.

Hou Jijun, director of Changning District, issued a business license to Chagee, and Zhai Lei, deputy director of Changning, presented a “service package” for Chagee as a key enterprise based in Changning. 

In the next stage, government agencies and communities in Changning will work together to provide more support and services for the strategic development of Chagee.

Zhang Junjie, founder and chief executive officer of Chagee, introduced that Chagee was established in 2017 and as a new China-Chic tea beverage brand. 

It adheres to the principle of “making friends with the world through Eastern tea” and leads the revival of Chinese tea. At present, the number of outlets of Chagee has exceeded 3,000 throughout the world. 

The Chagee global business center will settle in the Hongqiao United Building, with its main functions being group comprehensive management, global product promotion, and global business convergence.

Chief Technology Officers secure innovation ecosystem

With the theme of “Focusing on Big Models and Empowering Technological Innovation,” the first event of the 2024 “Hongqiao Smart Valley” Chief Technology Officers Union, was held on January 19.

It invited domestic industry leaders and outstanding representatives of the regional big model industry to focus on the fields of big models, high computing power, and explore the cutting-edge technologies and development achievements of artificial intelligence big models.

After years of cultivation and development, the artificial intelligence industry in Changning is actively promoting the construction of an open and secure innovation ecosystem for big models. 

In the field of big models, it has gathered representative enterprises such as iFlytek, Tigerobo, Leyan Technologies, Buy Quickly, BaseBit.ai, and Craiditx. 

The main theme event invited the chief technical officers of Buy Quickly and BaseBit.ai to share their respective research results.

After the sharing, the attending guests engaged in communication and interaction, sparking ideological resonance. In the next stage, the Chief Technology Officers Union of “Hongqiao Smart Valley” will take the construction of the “Shanghai Silicon Alley” science and technology innovation neighborhood as an opportunity to actively build an exchange platform, strengthen talent gathering, and empower enterprise development.

Edited by Shanghai Daily