I have lived in Shanghai for the past 3 years but I also lived here from 2001-2002. Back then, there were buildings constructed that were totally empty and it seemed ridiculous to think anyone would live in those distant undeveloped areas. Fast forward a decade and now Shanghai has 20 metro lines instead of two, with each metro station under a sprouting mini-city, complete with its own H&M, Burger King and Starbucks. It seems like the urban planners placed tem all perfectly close to each other, like settlements in Civ. The condos that stood empty 12 years ago are now at full capacity and people are moving even further out into the exurbs where more empty buildings await them. The energy and buzz in Shanghai is just as palpable as it was 12 years ago and although there are some ghost cities and failed projects across greater China, the megalopolises will easily compensate for them. The United States has its share of empty, abandoned cities (Detroit, anyone?) but when you visit San Francisco or Manhattan, you would not know it.