What was once begun as research called LIFE has become the key component of my master's project. The meaning of LIFE has been redefined by a new landscape language. Living, infrastructure, traffic, shopping and eating identify the most common scenarios that are an intrinsic part of our daily lives. These are not exempt from the problems and difficulties characteristic of large cities like Shanghai. Landscape no longer focuses only on building parks or squares. In my project it has its own definition that informs about how to create a sustainable space not only for public use but also for private use. The research into the different ways people live has assisted me in identifying the Longtang morphology -a living system that was very popular and successful in downtown Shanghai in the 30's. Longtang is a fast-disappearing architecture due to the urban expansion in older Shanghai. Nowadays people's living conditions have improved. The buildings are new and mostly high-rise, without the unique Longtang style- easy eating and shopping ¨C in the past and without the good neighborhood relationships and useful public space. However, Longtang's living style to some extent surpasses the modern high-rise living structure. This research acknowledges the success of LIFE as a balanced schema in Longtang. The space in a traditional Longtang is neither public nor private. Longtang residents concede and build on its spatial negotiations, as private space is very restricted. Transferring private space into public space is one of the most important rules people learn while living in the Longtang. And my research question concerning how Longtang urban morphology can be used as a tool in the development of Shanghai becomes my key point in studying the Longtang structure, especially the changeability of the Longtang space. The research also identified a need for public space in various scales. The provision of this space is not easy as Shanghai is a highly dense area. My project proposes the use of public space as private-testing the strategy at different scales.

Based on the upcoming 2010 World Expo of Shanghai. According to 'moving out' policy of Shanghai government, a large percentage of residents from Shanghai's old downtown area are being moved out to a district on the outskirts of the municipality. In the context of moving out policy and shifting community space of 'Longtang' residents, my research explores how water can be used to forge a new typology for the Xinji residential area in developing Shanghai. The new typology of residential area is defined by a new type of community space. Water, edge and corridor are examined as three main concepts to create this kind of new community space, where residents can be provided with diverse spatial experience and various spatial effects through spatial transformations in and between private and public and diverse programs in a residential area. 'Longtang' is one of the key precedents I am looking at for the purpose of studying water edge conditions and corridor conditions, and to deduce a way to best design hybrid community in the Xinji residential area, which is selected as my research site. It is identified as one of the peripheral node for the moving out policy by Shanghai government? My research, therefore, tries to explore a new typology of Xinji residential area, which can provide both existing residents and 'Longtang' residents with diverse water based community space in the residential area and its context.