Community greenway belt on track

A greenway system in the Gumei community near Shanghai South Railway Station will open to the public by the end of next year, according to the district government.

It will be the first of its kind to be built around the core area of a community and will stretch from Lianhua Road in the east to Hechuan Road in the west, and from Pingnan Road in the north to Gudai Road in the south.

The 4.5-kilometer greenway will be a circle that incorporates a cycle track, a jogging track and a promenade.

Different themes will be applied on the four roads. 

Sculptures will be erected along Lianhua Road. On Hechuan Road, the government is planning a vertical green wall based on the 1.2-meter wide waterfront walk.

“We will plant seasonal flowers around the greenway,” said a government official, “so that the joggers and cyclists will have a better environment for exercise.”

The plants and flowers will also partially replace the usual drainage ditch along the road. The government is using plants to absorb rainwater instead of simply draining it away.

Service stations will be built every 800 meters along the greenway, equipped with drinking water, seats and vending machines. 

Environmental monitoring devices will be planted around the greenway to provide air quality information for people doing outdoor exercises.

The greenway system will start building in July next year. By which time the 6,500-square meter Gumei community will also be undergoing renovation, the district government said.