Shanghai will expand the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong New District into a world-class 'science city' covering about 94 square kilometers, according to a construction plan approved by the municipal government on Aug 7.

The science city will create estimated 880,000 jobs in the future and over half of the employees will live inside the city, according to the plan jointly compiled by the district government of Pudong and the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Planning and Land Resources, the city's top planning body.

An artist's impression of Zhangjiang Science City [Photo/jfdaily.com]

Founded in 1992, the Zhangjiang High-tech Park currently covers an area of 79.7 sq km. It has gathered over 10,000 companies from sectors such as information technology, biomedicine, cultural innovation and low-carbon environmental protection, according to the Zhangjiang management committee.

To accommodate high-caliber talents and young innovative talents from home and abroad, it will build new residential buildings covering a total floor space of about 9.2 million square meters, of which 8.9 million sq km will be available for rental, according to the plan.

To cater to the needs of residents in the science city, it will build gyms, maternity and childcare facilities, international schools, international hospitals and cultural facilities, according to the blue print.

Based on the recruitment model of the Hi-Tech Park, the science city will gather some of the world's top innovative talents, national scientific facilities, key universities, research institutes, and research and development centers of multinational enterprises.