Pedestrian path gives Shanghai residents access to Suzhou Creek

A 42-kilometer pedestrian path along the banks of Suzhou Creek in Shanghai was completed on Monday, giving residents of the city more public space for leisure activities.

Flowing through downtown Shanghai from west to east, Suzhou Creek has witnessed the development of the city over centuries.

The pathway is part of a renovation project focused on the creek's urban environment that started in 2018.

Zhu Jianhao, deputy director of the municipal housing and urban-rural development commission, said that before the project was launched, 15.3 kilometers and 63 spots along the creek were blocked by historic buildings, warehouses, residential quarters and other human-made obstacles.

"The project has been supported by district governments, companies and residents along the river because the building of the pathway involved the opening of many internal spaces," Zhu told a news conference on Monday.

"The related parties have shown their understanding of the public project and agreed to cooperate. There are now only two blockages left."

The path, which runs from the city's outer ring road to the place where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu River, now provides jogging lanes, resting places and greenery for the public to enjoy.

Wang Zhedong lives in Peninsula Garden, formerly a closed residential neighborhood beside the creek in Putuo district. He said he had been worried about the opening up of the creek banks in the community due to safety concerns.

"But the local government showed us the plan and made adjustments according to our feedback, and when the renovation project was done, I found the riverside became more beautiful," he said, adding that the police have installed monitoring cameras to ensure safety.

The project also included the upgrading of 110 sections of roads beside the creek and the renovation of 54 historical buildings.

In the part of the project in Huangpu district, a gas station built in 1948 was redesigned to maintain its function while adding a cafe on its second floor. The former Shanghai Rowing Club, a Victorian-style building dating back to 1905, is also being restored.

Wang Lin, chief designer of the 1-km renovation project in Hongkou district, said the original path was broadened from 1.5 meters to 15 meters, and is now a long, elevated waterfront scenic area.

Hongkou resident He Chunming, 66, said the riverside is now his favorite place to stroll. He said he used to swim in the creek when he was a child, but the water had become polluted and smelly in the 1980s.

"In the past five years, the water gradually became clear again and the smell has gone," he said. "There are now many small parks along the new pathway, and it has made our mother river pretty again."