Revitalizing idle urban assets, activating terrace economy, and unleashing new driving forces for urban consumption
2026-08-05
As urban land development approaches its ceiling and ground space becomes increasingly saturated, more and more cities are turning their attention to the "overhead" - those long neglected and idle rooftop terraces are quietly becoming new engines for activating consumption and reshaping urban space.
From the observation terraces along the central axis of Beijing to the open-air markets along the Huangpu River in Shanghai, from the "skyline economy" of Guangzhou CBD to the "sky garden" on the rooftops of factories in Shenzhen, terrace economy is no longer a flash of inspiration for individual merchants, but a collective choice for first tier cities. These once silent 'fifth facades' are being redefined by cafes, bookstores, markets, sports fields, and even farms.
The transformation of business logic, the loosening of policy environment, and consumers' pursuit of experiential and emotional value have jointly given birth to this "upward growth" spatial revolution. The terrace economy not only revitalizes idle urban assets, but also provides new places for citizens to get close to nature, socialize and relax. It also demonstrates infinite possibilities in cultural empowerment, green and low-carbon fields.
Beijing: Cultural Terrace on the Central Axis
As the core carrier area of the national cultural center, Dongcheng District in Beijing has taken the lead in playing the card of "terrace economy". In 2025, Dongcheng District will launch the "Breeze Terrace Plan" and focus on urban terraces. In just one year, it has attracted over a million citizens and tourists to experience check-in, and the number of participating merchants has increased by nearly 30%.
This year, the "Breeze Terrace Plan" has been fully upgraded, linking nearly 300 rooftop terraces and extended consumption scenes in Dongcheng District, forming three characteristic matrices: relying on the core resources of Qianmen, Wangfujing, and the central axis, creating a central axis viewing terrace; Deeply cultivate areas such as Wudaoying Hutong and Longfu Temple, and cultivate Hu Tong cultural and creative, scholarly and Chinese style terraces; Combining the commercial district carrier, create a sports and leisure terrace that integrates sunset yoga, light camping, and outdoor markets, achieving a deep integration of "culture+sports+commerce".
The top terrace of Hongqiao Market is a typical representative among them. Standing here, you can have a panoramic view of the Temple of Heaven, and many tourists come specifically to take photos of the sunset at the Temple of Heaven. Ming Jing, the manager of Guantan Art Space, said, "Previously, the popularity of the terrace was mainly spread spontaneously by tourists, and the effect of the check-in economy exceeded expectations
On the terrace of the Canran Bookstore of Zhonghua Book Company, bamboo chairs and wooden tables are arranged in a staggered manner, and the names of Lao She's works are printed on wind chimes. Readers have a space to get close to nature and experience culture while reading.
Dongcheng District also set up exclusive channels in conjunction with platforms such as Tiktok, Meituan, Ctrip, and Gaode Taxi, forming a complete business closed loop of "online grass planting - offline card punching - on-site consumption - social communication".
Shanghai: A three-dimensional consumption landscape of outdoor displays and terraces
The terrace economy and outdoor display economy in Shanghai are closely intertwined, forming a three-dimensional consumption network from the ground to the air. Since the beginning of this year, Huangpu, Xuhui, Hongkou and other districts have successively launched new policies for the management of outdoor display, benefiting more than 500 outdoor display areas and over 4000 merchants in the city. Outward display is no longer just a "territory" for merchants, but also a showcase and functional expansion area for the city's image.
In Hongkou District, the terrace economy presents a rich and diverse form. The Stage Magnolia Observation Deck is the only observation deck in Shanghai that offers a 360 degree outdoor view of the city's scenery. With just one turn, you can gather the Bund's international architectural complex and the "four piece set" of Lujiazui. The terrace of LAGO restaurant at Suning Baolijia Hotel has become a popular check-in spot for many tourists. The second floor terrace of Hongshu Fang is a unique literary themed space along the Suzhou River, where literary salons and small concerts are regularly held.
The "Sapphire Terrace Market" in Lujiazui Financial City showcases another side of terrace economy. This 800 square meter viewing terrace is adjacent to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and only 40 or 50 meters away from the Huangpu River. Since the beginning of summer, multiple outdoor ball games have been held here, attracting a large number of financial professionals and citizens.
It's really rare to have such a down-to-earth leisure venue in the financial core area, such as dealing with data in the grid room during the day and watching sports games on the terrace of Lujiazui in the evening, "sighed Du Zijian, a Shanghai fan. This lightweight and experiential business model not only does not destroy the commercial attributes of the financial district, but also fills the gap of mass nighttime leisure.
Guangshen: Exploring the Dual Cities of Skyline Economy and Scene Revolution
Guangzhou's systematic exploration of elevating terrace economy to a 'skyline economy'. Tianhe District has explicitly proposed to establish strict structural safety and fire assessment mechanisms for high-rise spaces such as rooftops and terraces in buildings, and encourage commercial carriers to seek space from the sky while ensuring safety. At present, Tianhe District is guiding commercial entities such as Dongfang Baotai and Huanmao Tiandi to evaluate the renovation of high-rise idle floors and aerial corridors, and plans to introduce cloud based afternoon tea, rooftop light camping and other formats.
Starting from June this year, Tianhuan Square has fully utilized the open rooftop space and launched the "High Energy Market Opening" series of markets, accompanied by the Guangzhou urban skyline. In addition, the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center has installed about 40000 square meters of photovoltaic modules on its roof, generating over 4 million kilowatt hours of electricity in the past three years and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 3000 tons - the boundary of terrace economy is extending from consumption to green and low-carbon.
In Shenzhen, the rooftop economy has reached a considerable scale. Merchants come up with various strategies, utilizing the spatial advantages of factory buildings or commercial building rooftops to turn idle rooftops into scenic spots, small pubs, and even sports fields. Through "scene creation," they attract traffic and retain customers through services such as catering or photography, forming a closed-loop consumption. The "About Blue" on the 9th floor of Longgang Bantian Longjing Technology Park is a typical representative. This rooftop is themed around cherry blossoms and creates diverse experiences such as clothing rental and alpaca interaction. The "landscape+experience" model has become the core logic of the rooftop economy. (Outlook New Era)
Edit:Luoyu Responsible editor:Jiajia
Source:workercn.cn
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