The theme of Expo 2010 is “Better City, Better Life,” representing the common wish of the whole humankind for a better living in future urban environments. This theme represents a central concern of the international community for future policy making, urban strategies and sustainable development. In 1800, 2% of the global population lived in cities. In 1950, the figure raised to 29%, in 2000, almost half the world population moved into cities, and by 2010, as estimated by the United Nations, the urban population will account for 55% of the total human population.
The quest for a better life has run through the urban history of mankind. Through different sub-themes, Expo 2010 will create blueprints for future cities and harmonious urban life styles, providing an extraordinary educational and entertaining platform for visitors of all nations:
●Blending of diverse cultures in the city
●Economic prosperity in the city
●Innovations of science and technology in the city
●Remodelling of communities in the city
●Interactions between urban and rural areas
Across Shanghai, thousands and thousands of workers are transforming the city – repaving the roads and pavements, building new metro lines, repainting buildings, tearing down advertising hoardings, refurbishing the Bund and so on.
The city is spending a reported $45 billion (!!), making this probably the largest civic works project of all time.
The goal is to wow visitors to the 2010 World Expo, a biennial boondoggle which the rest of the world tends to ignore, but which Shanghai is treating like it is the equivalent of Beijing’s Olympics.
(Anyone remember the 2008 Expo in Zaragoza? Or the 2000 shindig in Hanover?)
Besides the non-stop building works, Shanghai is also ironing out some of its quirks. Residents are being encouraged not to hang laundry on the streets, to wear pajamas in public, or to spit. The employees on the metro are being told to wear uniforms. Bad English, or Chinglish, signs are being corrected.
Like Beijing, Shanghai is also going on an environmental drive, and the corporate pavilion at the Expo is made from used CD cases.
My favourite bit of Expo madness is that Haibao, the blue mascot of the event, has both a Twitter profile and Facebook page despite both website currently being censored by the Chinese government. Here’s Haibao in all his multinational glory.
Here are something I’ve been thinking about what I would like to see improve in the city:
1. Stop bikes and motorcycles from riding on the pavement. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been honked from behind while walking, even when there is a street perfectly clear of traffic next to me.
2. Get drivers to slow down and to stop for pedestrians. This is a difficult one to enforce, but first-time visitors to Shanghai always complain about (a) very nearly being mowed down on zebra crossings and (b) enduring high-speed weaving taxi rides through town.
3. On that note – raise taxi prices. Shanghainese taxi drivers are always griping about how little money they make, and the low cost of taxis (£1 initial fee, 20p per kilometre) means that when it rains, no one can get a cab for hours. If the starting fee was higher, people would think twice about taking a cab when public transport will do. And perhaps English maps at bus stations would help tourists.
4. Increase hygiene inspection at restaurants. Chinese food, by and large, is pretty hygienic – it’s cooked in woks over a very high heat. But there are plenty of expensive, Western, restaurants in Shanghai that will make you ill.
5. Install proper rubbish bins. At the moment, everyone chucks their rubbish onto the street. Although it is collected pretty regularly, wouldn’t it be better to actually have bins?
6. Free Wifi. Pudong airport has already started providing free wifi. Other public spaces should follow suit.
http://doorphone.informe.com/blog/2010/06/25/better-city-better-life-shanghais-transformation/
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