Losing community. A look into the Lilong: the Shanghainese interstices that challenge the growth at any cost

In the neurotic urban texture of Shanghai still exist interstice realities that challenge the “progress at any cost” and what it involves. These in-between spaces are mostly made up of Lilongs, typical Shanghainese low-rise high-density housing neighbourhood. Here slowness is still beating people’s time; togetherness, sharing and closeness come back to justify the sense of hosting society in such close spaces and, by extension, the sense of the city itself. Nevertheless, in these precious realities a developing and gentrification process is razing to the ground a large amount of Shikumen; this could cause the end of those social practises typical of Chinese culture. Distances are expanding and activities that took place in these in-between spaces most likely will not exist anymore. The paper will analyse the developing process underway; it will show the actual Lilong life and will highlight the danger of losing such good community practices/habits in these peculiar interstice spaces.