How did Shanghai’s former foreign concessions influence the layout of downtown streets?

The former foreign concessions significantly shaped the layout of downtown Shanghai, primarily by introducing a gridiron street pattern that contrasts with the city's older, organic urban fabric.

The area originally contained within the British concession, which extends southward and westward from the confluence of the Suzhou and Huangpu rivers, is characterized by this structured gridiron layout. This grid is bounded by major thoroughfares that reflect the historical divisions between these foreign-controlled zones. For instance, Yan’an Dong Lu was constructed over the former Yangjingbang Canal, which historically served as the boundary separating the British and French concessions.1

In contrast, the old Chinese city—now part of the central area—retains a random and labyrinthine street pattern, reflecting its historical development before the influence of foreign urban planning. While the foreign-influenced areas utilized a grid to facilitate commercial and diplomatic activities, the older sections remained circumscribed by streets like Renmin Lu and Zhonghua Lu, which follow the course of the city's original defensive wall.1