The Creative Sustainable Development Strategy of Old Downtown Areas - A Case Study on the Regeneration of the Old Industrial District beside Xietang River in Shanghai

Old downtown areas are faced with numerous threats such as removal and rebuilding. The purpose of this research is to reinvigorate the old downtown by low-carbon method rather than the elimination. The article elaborates the understanding of design in the respect of old downtown area renewal with case study of the renewal design of the old industrial district beside Xietang River. And it is pointed out that architectural design and landscape plan should revitalize the site in the city with a combination of retaining site’s history and context with modern language and new technology, which meets the needs of the citizens and realizes the site’s sustainable development.