ALAN BALFOUR is Dean of the School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, as well as being an architect and author. He was formerly Chairman of the Architectural Association in London, and Smith Professor and Dean of Architecture at Rice University. He the AIA 2000 Topaz Laureate, the highest recognition given in North America to an academic in architecture.

Shanghai is Balfour's third World Cities book, following New York (2001) and Berlin (1995). The latter, as well as his earlier book Berlin: The Politics of Order, 1737-1989 (Rizzoli, 1990), have both been winners of the AIA International Book Award. Other books include Portsmouth (Studio Vista, 1970) and Rockefeller Center: Architecture as Theater (McGraw-Hill, 1978). He also shared in the development of the essay collection Recovering Landscape (Princeton Architectural Press, 1999), and contributed to The Edge of the Millennium (Cooper Hewitt, 1993) and Cities of Artificial Excavation: The Work of Peter Eisenman (Rizzoli International/CCA, 1994).

ZHENG SHILING is Professor and former Dean and Vice President of Tongji University, China. He is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Superior Consulting Committee of the Science and Technology Association, both in Shanghai, as well as of the Académie d'Architecture of France. In 1998 he was appointed Director of the Urban Space and Environment Committee, Shanghai Urban Planning Commission, and in 1996 was elected as both President of Shanghai Architectural Society and Vice President of Architectural Society of China.

Shiling's design works include Zhu Qizhan Art Museum (1995), Qian Juntao Art Museum (1998), Fuxin High School (1998), Nanjing Pedestrian Street, Shanghai (1998-1999), The National Finance Museum (2000), and others. He is the author of a number of books including On the Rationality of Architecture - the Value System and Symbolism of Architecture (1997), The Evolution of Shanghai Architecture in Modern Times (1999) and Tracing Back - The Excellent Architecture of Modern Times in Shanghai (2001).

MADAM XIA LIQING is Chair of the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau and Secretary the Chinese Communist Party Planning Administration.

The ACADEMY WORLD CITIES SERIES stems from the vital need to consider our urban environment at the dawn of a new millennium. It presents a detailed and intelligent analysis of the state of the world's most prominent cities and their visions of the future, examining not only the social environment and planning history of each city, but also the projects that were never realised - the missed opportunities that might have created a city with a very different atmosphere. Comprehensive collections of essays, illustration and projects representing the gamut of architectural styles give this series a unique viewpoint. World Cities: Shanghai is the sixth in the Academy 'World Cities' series, following titles on London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Tokyo and New York.