Ever Since the 1990s, a new strategic plan with its focus on “three major issues” has been introduced for the development of the Suburbs in Shanghai, which proved to be both creative and insightful. The key to the further development of the Suburbs in the new century lies in the innovative implementation of the strategic plan.
Suburban development is an alienable part of the city's overall economic progress which, in terms of the present layout, manifests the following unique features:
(1)The development of the urban area is centered around the inner, middle and outer ring roads, with Central Business Zone, Jinqiao, Zhangjiang, Hongqiao. and Cao Hejing taking the lead.
(2) Service industry and urban industry begin to cluster in the area within the Outer ring road, forming an urban industrial system typical of international metropolises and making it possible for some of the manufacturing industry in the urban area and the related population to seek development in the suburbs.
(3) The six pillar industries of the 1990s have turned into the present four major industrial bases characterized by stronger development at points.
(4) The suburbs are scattered with approximately 150 townships, 160 or so economic development zones of various kinds, and some small-scale agricultural zones which are both loosely organized and demonstrate regional differences in labor division. Meanwhile, some of the peripheral and island townships have long been neglected for their comparatively poor economic strength.
One of the prominent problems with the above-said layout is the huge economic gap between the urban and suburban area, leading inevitably to the concentration of economic activities and population in the urban area. Which, in the turn, results in the “city disease” characterized by consistently high commercial costs. In this light, suburban development should be in line with the strategic concept of prospering the urban area and enhancing the economic strength of the suburbs, therefore, constructing a framework for suburban development based on the city's overall economic progress.
I.The "golden triangle" area
This area consists of Lu jiazui, Wai Gaoqiao, the international airport, and the deep-water harbor, Economically dependent, they form the “golden triangle” area that shows the strongest economic potential. This area, situated at the intersection of east china's coastal economic belt and the Yangtze River economic belt, has formed a layout of development with the airport and harbor being its gateway, relying on Jinqiao and Zhang jiang industrial Park, and backed up by Lu jiazui financial and trade center. It is therefore not only important for the economic development of Shanghai, but also plays a key role in placing the Yangtze River Delta in a leading position in terms of economic development over the Pearl River Delta and the Beijlng-Tianjin-Tangshan metropolitan circle. In line with this role, the golden triangle area will accelerate the development of modern and strategically important industries and provide services for the Pudong New Area and the economic development of the city as a whole.
In the long run, the Outlying area of the deep--water harbor should form a state-level  strategic development zone of shipping industry. If the zone can be established west of the harbor, it will revitalize the city's southern part as whole, linking its east and west ends and, most importantly, accelerating the development of the Hangzhou Estuary industrial Belt and the surrounding townships.
The suburbs, in conformity with this situation, should accommodate the golden triangle area on the one hand, and provide it with such services as coordinating industries on the other.
II. The transportation industrial belt
This industrial belt consists of Wai Gaoqiao, the international airport and the deep--water harbor and connects the future Pudong railway. It embodies the macro--transpiration function of the city.
In response to the great economic push brought about by the belt. the suburbs should set up coordinating industries around it, in this way, giving momentum to their own development.
III. The modern service industrial belt
This belt consists of Sheshan State Holiday Resort, Hongqiao Airport, Hongqiao Development Zone, Nanjing Road, the Central Business Zone along the Bund and in Lu jiazui, the Century Boulevard, the future Pudong Disneyland and Pudong Airport. At present, this area has already taken shape as a tertiary industry belt and it will further develop into a modern service industry belt.
The suburbs should take advantage of this belt to expand their own development and establish new tourist attractions.
IV. The heavy industry spillover belt
This spillover belt, expanding from the central urban area to the northern and southern part of the city, consists of the metallurgical industry moving towards the refined steel base in the northern suburbs, the chemical industry moving towards the chemical area in the southern Suburbs, and the shipbuilding industry moving towards the estuary of the Yangtze River. It will become the city's future base for developing heavy and chemical industries.
The suburbs should rationally arrange the spilled-out industries and make them as concentrated as possible so as to achieve the maximum economic result thus generated. On the other hand, they should establish industrial and enterprise groups of their own with the support of the spilled-out industries.
V. The water landscape and the water-related industrial belt
This belt consists of the Dianshan Lake, Dingpu Lake. Huangpu Rive. and the Estuary of the Yangtze River as a result of the spilling-out of heavy and chemical industries along the rivers and the sea. It has already turned into the city's water biological landscape and, at the same time, a new tourist attraction for citizens to kill their leisure time. In the future, it will become the site for various industries such as education, housing, exhibition, and culture. In addition, tourism and high-tech industry will also find their places there.
The suburbs should take this opportunity to develop their tourism and tourism-related industries, focusing their attention on developing major water-related landscapes.
VI. The suburban industrial belt.
This belt will become Shanghai's future industrial belt. The current development of the city indicates that the suburbs will serve as the center of the manufacturing industry and a large number of labor-intensive industries will cluster around this center.
Different regions of the city assume different functions. The western region will focus mainly on the manufacturing industry characterized by labor-intensive enterprises, aiming at producing goods for domestic and overseas markets while the eastern region will focus mainly on Industries that provide service to the international airport and the deep-water harbor.
The Suburbs should therefore strive to attract capitals both at home and abroad, and the fulfillment of the role is crucial for Shanghai to become one of the internationally renowned manufacturing centers.
VII. The suburban agricultural industry belt
This belt, consisting of the areas other than the urbanized and industrialized regions of the city, will be focusing on agriculture and the breeding lndustry.
Large pieces of forest should be planted in the areas along the outer ring road to develop urban forestation and forestation science and technology, while within the suburban industrial belt projects such as the seed, greenhouse, and forestation should be developed. Besides, “service agriculture” with information and trading as its core and biotechnology should also be a major concern of this belt.
VIII. Linking townships
The suburban traffic system should be based on railroads and highways with the support offered by economic development zones and with an aim to establish a traffic network through linking townships which in theory should be located where railroads or highways and economic development zones meet.
The Suburbs should therefore make a rational plan for the connection of townships, economic development zones and railroads and highways to expect a maximum economic result from an integration of the three. Besides, urban railroads and highways should be built in a way that is conducive to the future development of linking townships in the suburbs.
In line with the above-said framework, the future development of the Suburbs will concentrate on (1) constructing Suburban industrial belts to enhance the city's capability of absorbing and digesting domestic and foreign capitals;(2) starting and improving the development of industries related to the four major industrial bases; (3) enhancing the strength of the manufacturing industry in the western part of the city and making perfect the coordinated industrial groups around the international airport and the deep-water harbor; (4) rationally arranging the spilled-out industries moving from the urban area to the northern and southern parts of the city; (5) developing water landscapes and water--related industries to create new tourist attraction; (6 ) conducting agriculture and the breeding industry in the suburban agricultural industrial belt and; (7 ) building and perfecting linking townships in the suburbs to meet the overall development of the city.