Planning and environmental protection organizations gathered yesterday to discuss how to build the Zhenru area in Putuo District into an ecological zone with advanced "green" technologies.

The city plans to create a shopping and entertainment center that rivals Xujiahui using environmentally sound planning and construction practices, said district chief Cai Zhiqiang.

The design and construction of the 2.4-square-kilometer Zhenru area will be based on "a set of green construction standards," Cai said.

"We are planning to make maximum use of our limited land resources," said Han Jihong of the Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences.

A three-level underground hub for transport and shopping is being planned, she said. The district is also defining standards for energy use and pollution control.

(Shanghai Daily September 26, 2008)