Emotions were running high during a radio talk show in which Putuo District Party Secretary Shi Xiaolin took some time to answer questions posed by the district's residents.

"Talk to District Party Secretary" was broadcast on FM93.4 last month.

One issue that has caused much attention from the local residents is the closure of the fruit wholesale market on Caoyang Road, the last one that remained in the vicinity of the Inner Ring region.

The market, Shi said, was closed after long consideration as it drew a plethora of issues, ranging from traffic jams to environmental concerns and issues regarding public safety.

Shi also noted the positive effects the closure had. Emergency calls to police in the area had now declined by 30 percent — a drop she directly linked to the market's shutdown. Waste management also improved, as the amount of waste collected in the area dropped from 25 tons per day to only one ton.

Now that the market is gone, the local government has space to convert the area into a park that will be connected with Zhenru Subdistrict to form a green business center, all according to the district's "13th Five-Year Plan" (2016-2020).

Shi said that while more than 100 low-end markets currently remained in the district, the plan foresees the shutdown of more than 20 of them. They will be replaced with more modern shopping opportunities.

A major target would also be the renovation and redevelopment of old communities within the district, according to Shi.

"By 2017, 55 polluted waterways in the district will be cleaned up including the ecology recovery program," she explained.

Shi also said that the relocation of online-to-offline meal delivery service Ele.me was a big success for the district, as Putuo has long tried to create a better environment for businesses and start-ups.

Asked about the district's achievements regarding the environment, Shi said that Putuo was a hub for new technologies.

"We have abundant resources in science and innovation," she said.

The district recently introduced 28 supporting policies to boost new technological developments and is already home to a large number of science research institutes, colleges, engineering research centers as well as the National Robot Testing and Evaluation Center.

Another major issue that will be addressed as part of the plan is improved elderly care. Instead of living at a nursing home, the government aims to enable senior residents to continue living in the comfort of their own homes with the support of services such as meal delivery and psychological counseling.