Shanghai has grown at a breathtaking pace since the 1990s. Housing developments are constantly multiplying, entire districts are demolished, residents are relocated, multilevel roads are built into the cityscape, and more and more areas are pinpointed for renewal. But how does this dramatic growth alter public space and people’s living environment, and what impact does it have on the inhabitants? These questions are urgent and relevant in megacities all over the world. In the exhibition Shanghai (Urban Public) Space curated by Anke Haarmann in 2008, artists, scientists, and philosophers from China and Germany sought answers to these questions; the results are presented in this publication, including one volume of texts and one of illustrations. The juxtaposition of theoretical reflection and practical strategies leads to unexpected, fascinating perspectives.