Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
[a good standard of living], people won't want to live there.”
6
h us “quality
of life,” of which environment is a key (albeit vague) term, is an important
component of Shanghai's urban and economic development strategy. Simply
put, world expo preparation equals “urban development on steroids.”
7
Indeed, Shanghai took its mission seriously, spending far more than its
“o' cial direct cost” of $4.2 billion. h e
China Economic Daily
reported that the
“real cost” of the event was in the range of $45 billion to $58 billion (exceeding
what was spent on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, themselves the most expensive
Olympics ever).
8
Shanghai used the expo as a catalyst to build new infrastruc-
ture and improve transportation links (including a maglev train that attains
speeds of up to 310 miles per hour); the city built new airport terminals, mas-
sively expanded its subway lines, constructed a $700 million riverfront prom-
enade in a sprucing up of the historic Bund, resurfaced hundreds of roads, and
repaved sidewalks. h e growth of the subway system was particularly impres-
sive. A system that began just fi fteen years ago is now the largest in the world
in terms of both the number of stations and the length of track (420 kilome-
ters, outstripping both London at 408 kilometers and New York City at 368).
9
Among these many storylines, the one that I am most interested in is
how themes of ecology and urbanism were represented and communicated
at the Shanghai World Expo, often to multiple and competing audiences. h e
o' cial guide to the expo stated: “Expo 2010 is the fi rst world exposition that
focuses on the issues of [the] city.” It explained that the event showcases
“interesting examples of
sustainable development
and
harmonious society.
”
10
China experimented with these themes in its pavilion at the expo in Aichi,
Japan.
11
h e o' cial slogan in English in 2010 was “Better City, Better Life!”
How did the expo represent “sustainable development” and “harmonious
society”? What was at stake in these particular representations of “Better
City, Better Life” at the expo?
To answer these questions, I looked at expo publicity documents and
government press releases, and used my own wanderings on this so-called
