In the past decade, the Jiuting area, located at the urban-rural fringe of Shanghai, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once a sprawling "sleeping city" with over 300,000 residents, it has shed its image of chaos and low-end industry. Today, Jiuting Town and its neighbor, Jiuliiting Subdistrict, are experiencing a population resurgence, driven by a high-tech pivot to commercial aerospace and a deliberate strategy to attract young, educated talent.

The early days of the transformation were tough. In 2016, a city-wide crackdown on illegal construction and polluting enterprises cleared out nearly 5 million square meters of illegal buildings and shuttered countless small workshops. The population of Jiuting Town dropped significantly, and for a time, the area felt deserted. But the cleanup cleared the way for a new future. The land was not left empty; it was reimagined as a "green oasis" for innovation, laying the groundwork for a tech-driven economy.

A key turning point was the decision to attract a "patient capital" project: Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (Yuanxin Satellite). In 2018, this company, which develops low-orbit broadband satellites, set up in Jiuting. The local government, understanding the long-term vision, reserved prime land for the satellite internet industry. This land, once occupied by furniture factories and toy makers, became the "industrial heart" for a new industry. Today, Jiuting is a national hub for satellite manufacturing, known as the "Satellite Town." The "Thousand Sails Constellation" project, launched by Yuanxin Satellite, has already deployed 238 satellites, with a plan to complete a constellation of 324 by October of this year.

This industrial shift has led to a profound change in the population. The "sleeping city" is now a magnet for young, highly educated professionals. Jiuliiting Subdistrict has a permanent population of 129,000, with an average age of 36.5 years old. Over 55% of its residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, making it the "youngest subdistrict" in Shanghai. The overall population of the Jiuting area has returned to its peak, with a net increase of over 50,000 people in the last three years.

The "human-centric" policies are a major draw. The area offers subsidized rental apartments for talent. One example is the Yangjiang-BeiHai Apartment, with 930 units renting for 2,300 to 5,600 yuan per month, yet it is still oversubscribed. New arrivals like Zhang Lin, a 90s-born financial professional who moved from Shenzhen, find the cost of living surprisingly low. She now works at Gesi Aerospace, a satellite manufacturer, and pays less than 2,000 yuan a month for her apartment after a talent subsidy. Zhou Xinyan, a 1999-born employee from Heilongjiang, also praises the policy, saying it has significantly lowered her living costs and made her commute just 20 minutes each way.

The transformation is not just about housing; it's about creating a complete ecosystem. Jiuliiting Subdistrict has launched a 50 million yuan innovation fund and 1,000 square meters of free space for startups at the Jiuli Gongfang (Liuli Workshop) cultural park. A new high-tech park, the G60 Curvature Engine Hard-Tech Pioneer Park, is under construction, targeting next-generation information technology and high-end equipment. The area is also integrating education, with the arrival of top-tier schools like No. 2 High School of East China Normal University (Songjiang Campus) and Lingke Education. To solve the chronic traffic congestion, the city is building a new subway line (Line 12 West Extension) to connect Jiuting more directly with the city center.

Local businesses are feeling the change. Zhou Wuhu, a barber who has run a shop on Husong Highway for over 20 years, observes, "Years ago, there were many people, but it was chaotic. Then it got quiet, and business was bad. Now, it's lively again, and the customers are all polite, young people." The people have returned, and the city is alive once more. The "sleeping city" has awakened, not just as a place to sleep, but as a place to work, live, and build a future.