Water Heritage in Asian Cities Symposium, 29 November – 1 December 2018, Shanghai, China

Abstract

The Water Heritage in Asian Cities Symposium took place between 29 November and 1 December 2018, in Shanghai. In respond to the increasing water risks of a warming planet, four institutes SASS, UKNA, IIAS and NYU Shanghai organized the symposium drawing on their urban studies network in Asia and beyond. The symposium encouraged diversity in perspectives, approaches and research methods concerning water and water heritage. This report explores presentations on three prominent topics discussed during the symposium: the Shanghai Master Plan 2035 (and the waterfront redevelopment it promotes), changing waterscapes, and water-based cultural heritage. Participants discussed how water utilization and management in the history of urban construction and expansion have accompanied the rise and fall of human societies. They emphasized the importance of thinking from a perspective focused on water and of placing water-related practices, studies and cooperation into global narratives.