Old buildings, new landscape : Redeveloping historic neighbourhoods - A case study of Xin Tian Di, Shanghai, China

This paper explores the use of tradition by the redevelopment project ofXin Tian Di (New Heaven and Earth) in Shanghai. The paper also identifies the implications of this urban redevelopment project to historic quarters in Chinese cities. An enormous commercial success and new Shanghai icon, Xin Tian Di project has transformed a former residential neighbourhood into a high end entertainment precinct. While the redevelopment ofXin Tian Di has retained the architectural features of the place, the use and interpretation of tradition by the project is problematic. The project shows a tendency where the established idea of tradition is destabilised and challenged. It also highlights issues of cultural authenticity in the redevelopment of historic quarters.