A stroll through Shanghai (page 1 of 2)

Dubai and the broader Emirates are certainly growing exponentially in terms of products and services offered as well as their associated, global brand equities - think iMate, Emirates, Jumeirah, and dare I say our colleagues at Emaar; and while such gains are a source of pride, a visit to our eastern neighbors is a most humbling experience.

Shanghai is divided into two main areas, Pudong and Pushi, similar to Deira and Bur Dubai, respectively. But the slight difference is that this is a city about four times the size of the entire UAE, housing upwards of 20 million inhabitants according to some estimates - and that's with the government strictly enforcing a no-migration policy from rural areas.

If the Sheikh Zayed Road is now more imposing than it was 10 years ago, then imagine a skyline that makes Manhattan's look like a side street. Even bridge ramps are impressive, with one spiraling 3 levels in an engineering marvel.

There are few indications this is a Communist city, other than the conspicuous presence of red flags as well as park and traffic wardens who aren't around so much to help pedestrians as to herd them with menacing arm-flapping and guttural diatribes. Still, money has flooded into the construction of this place - and while allegations exist of corruption, the results show an acute understanding of city management.

Beyond the standard economic and free trade zones, the government invests in efficiency, cleanliness and art - hallmarks of a great civilization and a testament to the achievements if not cronyism of now-disgraced Shanghai Communist Party mayor, Chen Liangyu.

A building boom similar to the UAE's is well under way; and it is matched by a well organized grid of infrastructure development and city mapping. Streets are easily identified, which makes postal distribution much easier than in some of our region's cities which still rely on addresses like "next to AlQuds Grocery." Post boxes ostensibly modeled on those of the UK are plentiful; and telecom networks are robust, allowing internet penetration to rapidly rise [note to self: Start joint venture with Jacobson's or Empost].

In addition to organizing roads and communication networks, there is an effort to manage energy use and conserve the environment. Recycling, for example, is aggressively encouraged, with biodegradable and non-biodegradable canisters for pedestrian use placed at every street corner; and the homeless can also earn a little by collecting and exchanging refuse for cash at designated locations.

In fact, Shanghai is remarkably clean for a place that houses so many millions. The streets are regularly swept and municipal workers - who may not realize their uniforms resemble those of liberty-challenged Guantanamo Bayians - are regularly seen fixing pavements and electricity poles. That's not to say, though, that all is rosy. For example, one learns in China why neighbors Singapore imposed strict laws against spitting, for it appears the habit of loudly forming globules of phlegm is a pastime of pandemic proportions.

The most gratifying discovery in this city, however, is the pervasiveness of outdoor art. Reminiscent of Barcelona, the variety of architectural and free-standing works serve to remind budding socialists-cum-capitalists that we are more than the cash we carry. Bronze bulls standing in waterfalls; wild, white granite horses racing frozen next to thoroughfares; or simply the cultivation of creeping plants along the support columns of bridges - all seem designed not only to beautify the city but keep it thinking.

But one cannot deny how rampant consumerism is.