Construction for 40 key projects in Shanghai's five "new cities," with investment totaling 132.82 billion yuan (US$20.84 billion), kicked off on Thursday, as the city continued to press ahead with its strategic master plan on the development of the five suburban areas to boost its economic and social growth.

The 40 projects cover various sectors, including high-end industries, science and innovation, infrastructure as well as those closely related to people's well-being.

In breakdown, there are 20 industrial development projects worth 115.59 billion yuan, eight traffic infrastructure projects worth 1.91 billion yuan, 10 well-being-related (housing or public service) projects worth 14.8 billion yuan, and two projects involving the improvement of ecological environment, with a total investment of 520 million yuan.