Abstract:

The spatial agglomeration of foreign population as well as its evolution process is important for understanding urban space in the era of globalization. Since its opening as a port, Shanghai has attracted a large number of foreign populations with its unique political, economic and cultural advantages. Before 1949, the foreign population in Shanghai was mainly distributed in the concessions and their neighboring areas. After the reform and opening up, due to the orientation of the export-oriented economy and industrial agglomeration, the foreign population continued to extend to the surrounding areas, forming the first generation of international communities represented by the Gubei area. Since then, due to the development and opening up of Pudong, the spatial distribution of foreign population has expanded from Puxi to Pudong, forming a new foreign population agglomeration space in Pudong New District. The historical continuity of social space, government planning, ethnic consumption space and individual choice have promoted the development and evolution of the foreign population agglomeration space in Shanghai. A thorough analysis of the shaping mechanism and evolutionary pathway of the concentration of foreign population in Shanghai not only helps to uncover the dynamic patterns and underlying driving forces of their spatial distribution, but also provides empirical support for the effective governance of foreign population in megacities.

Key words: foreign population, social space, evolutionary process, shaping mechanism, Shanghai