Shanghai plans to remove 100 kilometers of overhead cables and open 12 kilometers of public space along both sides of the Suzhou Creek this year, Huang Yongping, director of the city’s housing and urban-rural development commission, said on Wednesday. Last year, 116 kilometers of wires were removed. In January, overhead cables tangling up around the Wukang Building, formerly the Normandie Apartments, were removed, restoring the look of the signature masterpiece designed by Hungarian architect Laszlo Hudec. Apart from the wires, about 20 million square meters of illegal construction and some 500 outdoor advertising boards that pose safety threats will be demolished.