In recent times Suzhou Creek in Shanghai was known as one of the most polluted water bodies or more aptly, the ‘black and stink’. The creek has always held historical importance as a shipping and trading route since the early 1600s. But since the 1920s, the water body has been ruthlessly polluted as a result of the population boom in the area, wastewater discharge and industrialization which killed most of the aquatic and plant species, in turn causing algal bloom. As the only source of industrial and irrigation water supply to Shanghai, the poor water quality of the creek has also threatened the health and living conditions of the residents living in the area who number a whopping 3 million.
To find a solution to this persisting problem, a major international design competition for the design of the banks of the Suzhou River was held by the municipality which was won by Peter Verity of PDRc Ltd in 2008. PDRs’s idea of ‘The Shanghai Ribbon of Life’ sets the visualization for the water body to become the channel for urban renewal and economic growth as well as re-establishing the natural ecology and wildlife habitat. The project will include the creation of galleries, 12 museums and the Morganshan Area of Contemporary art. As a part of the project design for the inner city urban renewal, it includes a gigantic 50-hectare water park in the Putuo district.
For Shanghai to use the Shuzhou River Creek as a contributor to the growth of the city, services and facilities will be connected by a network of water taxis, water buses and bicycle paths while a surface people mover system will link with the metro stations. The project has till date removed 1.3 million cubic meters of industrial sludge from the river and the natural eco-system has begun to restore itself.
