Our Water Season 2: Flowing from Shanghai - Intercultural Dialogues Among World Cities

Shanghai-London Twin Cities Dialogue Launch Ceremony & London Forum

A report from ShanghaiEye

SHANGHAI, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Both the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River are considered Shanghai's "mother rivers." After four phases of ecological restoration spanning three decades, the 42-kilometer waterfront of Suzhou Creek in central Shanghai opened to the public in 2021. Similarly, the 45-kilometer public space along the Huangpu River from Yangpu Bridge to Xupu Bridge was revitalized in 2017. The reclamation of Shanghai's "One River, One Creek" has significantly elevated the city's waterfront quality, not only enhancing the urban business environment and driving economic growth but also providing residents with vibrant leisure and tourism destinations.

The dynamic interaction between rivers, cities, and people lies at the heart of Our Water: Flowing from Shanghai – Global City Dialogues on Humanities (abbreviated as Our Water). Throughout human civilization, settlements have thrived along waterways, and cities have flourished through rivers. Diverse river systems have nurtured the multiplicity of human cultures. Civilizations grow through exchange, mutual learning, and development. Our Water seeks to foster open, inclusive dialogues between Shanghai and global waterfront cities, exploring urban governance, economic innovation, industrial advancement, and cultural creativity.

Following its inaugural season featuring Shanghai-Paris dialogues, Our Water Season 2, on June 10, 2025—the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations—will launch a six-day, six-event London program. Highlights include:

 - The Season 2 Launch Ceremony & London Forum

- Surging Tides of the Huangpu River: History and Renewal Exhibition

- COINect Special Exhibition on Sino-British Numismatic Culture

- Codes of Tides Multimedia Exhibition

- A Bite of Shanghai: Chinese Cuisine Night in London, 2025

- Forging Global Synergy: Cambridge Waterside Saloon – A Jing'an Moments Initiative

Later in November, 2025, Our Water S2 will return to Shanghai for a series of local events.

River as Medium: Shanghai-London Dialogue on Zero-Carbon Waterfronts

On June 10, 2025, the Launch Ceremony and London Forum will convene at Whitehall Place nearby the Thames, symbolically merging the Suzhou Creek, Huangpu River, and Thames.

Distinguished panelists will envision "zero-carbon waterfronts" through the lens of sustainability including: Lou Yongqi, Vice President of China Industrial Design Association and President of Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Christoph Lindner, CEO of Royal College of Art, and Julia King, co-founder of Social Place.

Starting from "mother rivers" of Shanghai and London, the dialogue will explore how waterfront revitalization in both cities fosters urban innovation. Keynote speeches addressed sustainable transformation, creative symbiosis, community engagement, and resilient futures for urban waterfronts.

Financial Dialogue: Twin Global Hubs Exploring Collaborative Opportunities

As rivers and trade shaped both cities, the forum will spotlight financial synergies. The Thames River anchors London's financial district as an international hub, while Shanghai is advancing its global financial capabilities. Shanghai has deepened financial openness through initiatives like the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Swap Connect, and the Gold International Board, enhancing market connectivity. Cross-border financial services and investment facilitation are accelerating. Shanghai seeks deeper collaboration with London to explore innovative financial cooperation models.

During the London Forum, one panel will focus on "Global Paradigms of Waterfront Economies and Financial Engines." Moderated by a renowned financial writer, the session will feature insights on Sino-foreign financial exchanges, finance's role in advancing sustainability and green bond innovation from representatives from Shanghai's International Financial Center and SPD Bank London Branch. The representative from EY-Parthenon will share perspectives on urban renewal and financial drivers, while the representative from Bloomberg will outline Sino-British cooperation in low-carbon transitions. The representative from London & Partners will emphasize dialogue among fintech enterprises.

III. Creative Renewal: Green-Tech and Innovation Narratives for Waterfronts

At the launch ceremony, the Jing'an District Government of Shanghai will join representatives from the Greater London and Liverpool City to unveil the Sino-British Waterfront Districts Sustainable Development Collaborative Initiative. This initiative promotes resilient, smart, and inclusive waterfront futures, transforming urban waterfronts from spatial upgrades to eco-cultural-economic complexes and establishing UN Sustainable Development Goals demonstration zones.

Coinciding with London Tech Week 2025, the Our Water forum spotlighted creativity and technology. Shanghai and London, both UNESCO Creative Cities, exchanged best practices: Shanghai aims to build an international cultural and creative hub, while London's creative sector accounts for 12.6% of its GDP. A roundtable explored low-carbon opportunities for creative industries, featuring case studies from Shanghai's Suhewan, a world-class waterfront district in Jing'an, Shanghai.

The representative from the Royal College of Art will emphasize sustainability as the "universal language of design." The representative from Landor (WPP) will discuss green branding. Representatives from the Global Innovation District Alliance and the Liverpool Business Improvement District will highlight cross-border collaboration among waterfront business districts.

Notably, in March 2025, London & Partners led 14 UK tech firms to Shanghai. Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London, noted alignment between China's "new productive forces" strategy and British strengths in fintech, professional services, and sustainable tech.

Our Water: Dialogue for a Shared Future

The Our Water initiative builds platforms for international exchange, expanding Shanghai's global network and fostering deeper understanding. Following six days of dialogues, the program will continue to welcome Sino-British collaborations, enriching the Shanghai-London Dialogue along the trajectory of river civilizations. The next phase of the Our Water Season 2 will convene in Shanghai in November 2025.

We believe we will eventually find the confluence of two rivers!

SOURCE ShangHaiEye