Drawing the Invisible: Visualizing Patterns of Occupation in Two Streets in Shanghai

From the many dynamics and urban planning features encountered in Shanghai, perhaps the two most iconic and recognizable are, on the one hand, the western urbanistic principles of the international settlements, and on the other, the Dan Wei-derived modern gated communities. Their foundations and historical contexts could not be further apart, yet the interaction between them has generated one of the world's most iconic and unique cities. These two approaches have been researched and compared from numerous perspectives, but the patterns of occupations taking place in their public spaces remain overlooked. This research proposes a methodology for mapping information in order to record and compare these patterns of occupations, aiming to understand their differences and similarities better, while also identifying findings that could be incorporated into modern architectural and urban design.