Today, Shanghai's population exceeds 26 million, but it wasn’t always such a megacity. Just 50 years ago, there were only around six million people living in the city. Fast population growth in such a short timespan creates unique challenges in a community with limited space and resources.
Shanghai began its growth as a city close to the intersection of two waterways, Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River. Today, it has expanded far beyond its historic geographic origins. Living in such a big city has both drawbacks and benefits, and city dwellers and city planners alike have risen to the challenge of accommodating the boom in population. Most of the area around the city (such as the suburb where my apartment is located) was farmland until quite recently. It has been transformed dramatically over the past 20 years, with typical countryside scenes of small farms and cottages being replaced by highrises, highways and malls.
