Reporter Rob Schmitz Tells the Story of a City in Transition Through a Single Shanghai Street

When Rob Schmitz, a reporter for Marketplace, began writing about modern China, he was overwhelmed by the scope of his project. He decided to focus on a microcosm of the Chinese experience — his own street. Schmitz has lived on Changle Lu street in Shanghai since 2010. He interviewed the street’s residents, including survivors of labor camps, ambitious entrepreneurs, victims of investment scams, migrant workers and expats. Schmitz joins Forum to discuss his book, “Street of Eternal Happiness,” and what one street can reveal about the cultural and political changes roiling Chinese society.