In July 2021, with support from Energy Foundation China, Beijing Chaoyang Yuheng Sustainable Transportation Research Center and Gehl Architects jointly published this report evaluating how the retrofitting of the Huangpu River waterfront has improved public space for millions of residents in Shanghai.

The report evaluates the retrofitting results of the Huangpu River waterfront space with numbers from big data, online statistics, social media, censuses, and questionnaires, and reveals that the retrofitting has moved Huangpu toward a world-class waterfront space in terms of lower carbon emissions, greater gross ecosystem product, and residents’ longer outdoor hours and higher approval ratings. It also identifies the problems and challenges in the process. The authors hope this report can provide guidance and reference for other cities when they build or retrofit their urban waterfront spaces.