What works in Shanghai
All catalogues · China profile
Quality scores are 0–100 rubric scores; “strong evidence” reflects study design; adoptions count documented replications elsewhere. Know more
Evidence snapshot for Shanghai
Shanghai is home to Houtan Park, a 14-hectare brownfield transformed into a constructed wetland that treats approximately 2,400 tonnes of river water daily, raising water quality from Grade V to Grade II/III for reuse, while also buffering floods and sequestering roughly 242 tonnes of CO2 annually. The city is also served by Squirrel AI, a commercial adaptive-tutoring system operating thousands of learning centres that reach millions of students, with vendor-reported score gains of 8.8 points for fifth-graders (87.6 versus 78.8 under traditional teaching), though independent verification of these results is limited. Additionally, Fudan University conducted a double-blind randomised controlled trial demonstrating that AI-assisted writing feedback significantly improved undergraduate critical-writing quality, particularly in essay organisation, with effects measured over a four-week intervention.
Drawn from: Houtan Park — Constructed Wetland Water Treatment on a Reclaimed Shanghai Brownfield · Squirrel AI — adaptive tutoring at scale in China · AIGC-Assisted Critical Writing Feedback — A Double-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial at Fudan University
Generated from this place's cited practices only. Always check the linked sources.
Strengths & weaknesses vs peers
Strengths
Evidence of learning impact +55 pts 83 here · 28 average
Water & soil — retention, infiltration, erosion control +50 pts 100 here · 50 average
Biodiversity — conservation / improvement, evidenced +16 pts 67 here · 51 average
Weaknesses
Transparency, ethics & data protection -14 pts 33 here · 48 average
Teacher capability & pedagogy -21 pts 17 here · 37 average
Equity & inclusion -36 pts 17 here · 52 average
Score profile vs peers
Coloured bar: Shanghai. Grey bar: peer average across the corpus. Both on a common 0–100 scale.
Points compare this place's average on each dimension with the average across all evaluated places, on a common 0–100 scale. Know more
Top good practices here
Houtan Park — Constructed Wetland Water Treatment on a Reclaimed Shanghai Brownfield · 53
Squirrel AI — adaptive tutoring at scale in China · 53
Each number is the practice's overall 0–100 quality score against its catalogue's rubric. Know more
Recommended to adopt or replicate
Transferable practices from elsewhere that address this place's gaps.
Ciudad Mujer — El Salvador's Integrated Women's Services Programme · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 3 other places
SASA! Community Mobilisation Programme against Intimate Partner Violence — Uganda · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 4 other places
Digital Green — Video-Mediated Agricultural Extension · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
Kartu Prakerja – National Digital Skills and Financial Inclusion Programme · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
Rwanda's Land Tenure Regularization Programme — Titling Land in Women's Names · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Already adopted in 6 other places
Copenhagen Business Hub (Erhvervshus Hovedstaden) · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Stadtidee Aarau — Switzerland's First City-Wide Participatory Budget Using the Method of Equal Shares · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
Fit estimates how well a practice matches this place, 0 (poor) to 100 (excellent); the list is ordered to favour practices that address this place's gaps. Know more