In Shanghai, the space beneath the elevated light rail near Caoxi Road Metro Station has been given a new purpose. Completed in 2025, Viascape Design’s 3,540 m² park introduces sports courts and public green space into an area long defined by the presence of transport infrastructure, reclaiming an overlooked stretch of the city for everyday use.

The project forms the second phase of a wider urban renewal plan aimed at improving a neglected site in Shanghai’s urban core. It follows Caoxi Road Pocket Park, extending the effort to bring accessible public spaces into parts of the city shaped by dense development and the demands of mobility. Rather than treating the land beneath the rail line as leftover territory, the intervention places it within the network of places where residents can meet, exercise and spend time outdoors.

With its sports facilities and open layout, the park gives the infrastructure a second role in the life of the neighbourhood. The result is a modest but meaningful shift in how urban land is used: an area once overshadowed by the city’s transport system becomes available to the people moving through it every day.

Photos by (c) Shan Liang