Large swaths of traditional urban fabric in Beijing have been demolished to be redeveloped as high rise housing. Due to local building regulations, the resulting urban form results in a restrictive typology of widely spaced generic buildings with little regard to public space. Drawing inspiration from the varied types of Shanghai’s iconic public spaces (e.g. Yuyuan Market, Nanjing Road, and Xintiandi and Tianzifang neighborhoods), the project achieves a density comparable to that of high rise developments, while framing a stimulating variety of urban spaces.