Shanghai Longtang Alleyways

Density.

Shanghai's older urban fabric is characterized by high density row-houses. These two-story buildings face one another along narrow alleys. Unlike Beijing hutongs, front doors and living spaces face directly onto the alleyways. This makes an outsider like me feel like I'm intruding on a private space--especially as many of these compact mazes now form the interior of larger blocks that are now surrounded by newer, larger buildings. The latter are often built straddling the older alleyways.

The entry to alley 125 on Huanghe Road near Beijing West Road























the "art"-deco restaurant above it


and the interior of the longtang beyond


around another corner

Many longtangs have historical landmark status, and some are even being restored. Hopefully this trend continues and the protections are meaningfully enforced. This is in stark contrast to Beijing's hutong courtyards which are demolished at about 600 per year. That gives about 5 years until they're an extinct urban form. I am not against development and do not see this as simply an issue of private rights. However, the lack of democratic participation in planning processes (such as they are) engenders comparisons to Haussmann's Paris or Moses's New York, with similar issues of urban class division, and differential enforcement of rights.