Better City Better Life

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These students spent a week exploring Shanghai and its surroundings. Their brief was to respond digitally to one of 3 essential questions: 1. How does the way space is used within a city impact on the environment? 2. What actions can we, as individuals, take to minimize our carbon footprint? 3. What is the relationship between industry, the environment and sustainable development? This group chose to focus on 'green work' versus 'green wash' here in Shanghai.

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“Better City, Better Life?”

Green Shanghai Digital Presentation

Introduction to Expo 2010

World Expositions are economic, scientific,

technological and cultural exchanges, where

innovative ideas of the future are presented

on a world stage.

In 2010, China will hold an Expo in Shanghai. It

will begin on May 1st and end on October 31st.

Once again, just like the Olympics, the world’s

eyes will be on China.

So what will China have to offer?

China’s main goal is to present modern

approaches to creating eco-friendly and

sustainable development to the world.

Their motto, “Better City, Better Life” is a theme

that promotes the idea of improved quality of that promotes the idea of improved quality of

life in the city.

Construction Projects

There will be huge construction projects on

the Expo Site as well as around Shanghai to

accommodate the Expo plans as well as

transportation projects.

“China Pavilion”

“Expo Axis”

Notice the gimmicky “rain collecting roof”

“Expo Center”

Other Projects

There will be new subway lines built for the

Expo as well as “Green Areas” around many of

the elevated highways.

Expo 2010 will attract governments and

people from across the world. Over a period

of 184 days, it is projected that there will be

over 70 million visitors to Shanghai.over 70 million visitors to Shanghai.

With this large amount of people visiting,

there will be an increased need for hotels,

transportation and food. All of this will add

more carbon emissions to an already polluted

and heavily populated city.

Will Shanghai really become a “Better City” as

a result of this expo? We believe that it is

more idealism rather than realism.more idealism rather than realism.

Idealism vs Realism

The motto

“Better City,

Better Life”

focuses more on

the

modernization of modernization of

the urban

lifestyle rather

than the

sustainability of

it.

In many of the expo pictures, Shanghai is

portrayed with clear blue skies and a clean

river. We know Shanghai is far from this.

The expo site is built on what they call

“Sunny Valley”.

Although Expo 2010 has shown many

examples of green wash, there is also green

work being done. The government has

realized the need to make Shanghai greener

and more sustainable.and more sustainable.

It may take time, but the Expo will hopefully

bring more sustainable development to China

as well as the world at large. as well as the world at large.

Thank you!

Presentation done by Matt Clarke, Nicolai

Anderson and Austin Sigouin