Green Open Spaces as Catalysts of Culture-Led Urban Regeneration: Case Study of Yuyuan Cultural Heritage Neighborhood, Shanghai

Targeting the fragility of culture-led urban regeneration (CLR), this study aimed to identify a sustainable redevelopment mode using green open spaces (GOSs) as catalysts for neighborhood-level CLR based on a representative case, the Yuyuan Cultural Heritage Neighborhood (CHN) in Shanghai. By summarizing the development trajectory of the Yuyuan CHN, the essential role of GOS is revealed, where GOSs provide settings for diverse cultural activities and social gatherings. Transforming low-efficiency assets into GOSs in Yuyuan has provided a possible “full-aspect” CLR at the community level. GOSs attract various social groups with diverse social or ethnic backgrounds. The previously closed, isolated creative cluster became organically integrated with the urban environment. New GOSs with artistic elements also contribute to providing cultural and leisure activities for marginalized social groups, including the elderly, the poor, and the working classes. The new GOSs in Yuyuan reflect the integration of cultural development and urban planning. They increase the accessibility of various types of culture to residents, visitors, and passersby on the street. GOSs produce a community identity and cohesion by way of collective memory, which is essential for long-term sustainable development. However, GOSs are threatened by problems such as gentrification and therefore require increased government protection. The analysis further identified the forms and landscape elements of GOSs that respond to cultural requirements. Urban furniture, such as seating benches, allows people to have a moment of peace in the urban environment and a chance to talk. The relatively long-term art installations shed light on ordinary life through exploration and fun. Recommendations are provided to explore the full potential of the cultural value of urban regeneration, as opposed to mere rhetorical sloganeering.