Colette Vogeler

Shanghai will soon host the EXPO 2010, the World Exhibition where all international organizations and countries present themselves. The host China has chosen the theme “Better city, better life”, this testifies to be a focal point with global relevance. The worldwide urbanization raises common challenges to the policy, the companies and the society: their ambition is to accommodate the modern development of the city with nature. The participants of the EXPO will present their ideas of a renewable city- development. For example the German Pavilion “Balancity”, that’s going to show their visitors German best practice-models and technologies. The visitors will not only be informed by German companies but also by national companies which can also be named as outriders in worldwide economical technologies.

In the run-up to the EXPO 2010 the Chinese government leave no stone unturned to change Shanghai from the standard billion-city it was before into an ideal city. Especially the infrastructure experiences a huge extension from which the habitants also benefit after the exhibition. The more than 18 billion residents will get an increased awareness of ecology and environment protection. But this process shall not cause an economic slump – China, the one country that is, although it has gone through an economic boom, still one of the developing countries. Chinas’ (promise for) wealth is based on this development. The EXPO 2010 may work in the same way as a catalyzer; it shall “emit” inside and outside China. At the same time it should be a demand to the world; that all human beings take their responsibility for urbanization, economic boom and that they all live together in peace.