Cultural Adaptation and Central Shift – An Urban Anthropological Study of Spatial Changes in Modern and Contemporary Shanghai (PhD Series)

Author: Zhang Xiaochun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: In modern Shanghai, the opening-up and establishment of Western concessions disrupted the original traditional urban landscape and social order. Shanghai rapidly transformed from a traditional town into a modern metropolis, forming a Sino-Western blended urban culture. During this process, the urban landscape of Shanghai underwent fundamental changes. The urban center also experienced an unusual shift. This shift reflects the control of different cultural groups, particularly the Chinese and Western sides, over the urban spatial form of Shanghai, as well as the competitive development between different jurisdictions. This book approaches Shanghai's urban space from the perspective of urban anthropology, viewing it as an object of division and competition among different cultures. It regards planning and architecture as tools for implementing social control in the city, focusing on the process of urban spatial transformation and the historical changes in urban culture it reflects. This book is suitable for architects, planners, urban construction professionals, as well as urban culture researchers and students and teachers in related fields for reference.