Spatial Morphology Analysis of Large Residential Communities in Shanghai: A Multi-Scale Perspective

The construction of large residential communities has become the main way for Shanghai to enhance the housing security system and address housing supply issues. After over ten years of rapid development, large residential communities in Shanghai have developed a distinctive urban form. This study aims to offer a comprehensive analysis of the spatial morphology of large residential communities in Shanghai, with a focus on development patterns. This study primarily adopts a case study approach and provides a comprehensive understanding of four spatial levels of the large residential communities from macro to micro levels, including urban corridor, urban grid, neighborhood unit, and housing morphology. The study reaches the following main findings: Large residential communities have established distinctive characteristics at the urban scale, featuring a systematic grid layout dominated by different natural landscapes. However, in the specific construction process, the economically driven development and extensive rapid construction have resulted in homogeneity in housing morphology. While the real estate development in China has shifted from the incremental era to the stock era, the large residential communities are facing more significant challenges. In conclusion, only with comprehensive consideration of the policy, economic, and spatial scales can large residential communities develop in a more habitable and sustainable direction.