Latin American delegates impressed by Shanghai's urban renewal

Mariana Escalante, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, praised the project's integrated approach to urban living.

"The contrast between development technology and how the government is trying to improve every aspect of people's lives is impressive," she said. "It's very interesting how this model brings essential services close to residents, making daily life more convenient, especially for older people."

Speaking in Chinese, she added: "Development is not only for the economy, but also for the people."

Orlando Ochoa, an economist from Venezuela who last visited Shanghai a decade ago, highlighted the city's continued progress.

"You can clearly see improvements in infrastructure, the financial sector, and technological innovation, which is now something that is leading the economy," he said. "The '15-minute community life circle' concept of keeping people with services around you is really interesting… I think it's a very people-centered approach."

"This is the kind of thing we should do everywhere — integrate communities and ensure they share in the benefits of economic progress," he added.