Urban Best Practice Area

Urban legends to save the world

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-05 22:06

An artist's rendering of Tengtou pavilion

Marking a new milestone in the history of World Fairs, the innovative debut of the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) at the Shanghai Expo will offer cities from around the world a chance to present solutions to urban issues on a global platform.

Chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants, 55 villages, cities and regions will showcase the unique initiatives taken to combat the challenges faced by today's cities, including sustainable development, protecting their historical heritage and chasing technological advancement. Highly urbanized cities such as London and Barcelona will share their experience of development while other cities show off their latest practices, including those still in the experimental stages.

Situated on a plot of two city blocks spanning some 15 hectares of the expo site in Puxi, the UBPA is a timely addition to the May to October event as cities in developing countries work to urbanize at an accelerated pace.

The area will be divided into four themed sections: Livable Cities, Sustainable Urbanization, Protection and Utilization of Historical Heritages, and Technological Innovation in Built Environment. China Daily reporters Wang Zhenghua and Tang Zhihao map out four cities that recently shared their exhibition plans.

The trials and tribulations of Tengtou

With a modest population of some 320 households, Tengtou in eastern Zhejiang province is an example of how one devastatingly impoverished area has risen to become one of China's leading villages in terms of economic growth and quality of living.

After several years of farming from a grassroots approach, local villagers have found wealth in agricultural development. They now use advanced technology to harvest their fields, and Tengtou strawberries have since become a signature crop.

In recognition of the high priority it places on the protection of its natural landscapes, Tengtou has been nominated by the United Nations as one of the world's top-500 villages in terms of its ecology. Its most prized scenic spots are: The Orange Orchard, Memorial Woods and The Potted Landscape Garden.

Tengtou will present its dynamic lifestyle and an overview of its unique development philosophies in a two-storey stand-alone structure covering 1,500 sq m.

Replicating the appearance of an ancient southern Chinese home, it incorporates traditional design elements on its doors, windows and walls. Modernity will be showcased by its rooftop which will embrace various eastern China characteristics found in modern water towns today.

The pavilion highlight will be a prototype of a typical Tengtou folk home, which comprises eco-friendly living solutions, including green plants, wind and solar-powered facilities, as well as environmentally conscious waste-treatment systems.

Its modern agricultural technologies will also be on display along with a demonstration of how they are used through interactive programs.

The Eco-experience Zone will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a simulated environment of Tengtou's natural surroundings by listening to the sound of water running through streams, or by inhaling the sweet fragrance of flowers. Visitors will also be able to remember the experience by opting to be photographed in hats made of flowers found in the village and coats made of indigenous plants.

Playing it smart in Hong Kong

The small and crowded Chinese metropolis will demonstrate how one very smart card has helped improve the quality of life for its people.

Visitors will learn how the various smart card applications are used daily to contribute to a convenient and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Under the theme of "Smart Card, Smart City, Smart Life", Hong Kong will detail the history and development of the smart card since its creation in 1997, when it was intended only for use on public transport.

The city will go one step further to convince visitors of the practical benefits of the card by giving them one to use upon entry into its pavilion. Visitors will be able to use it for a wide range of transactions.

Deputy Secretary for the Hong Kong Communication and Technology Bureau Alan Siu said visitors will also get the chance to use the cards virtually through a series of interactive multimedia technology videos.

Situated on a plot of 530 sq m, the Hong Kong exhibit will feature an outer wall made up of a number of highly advanced LED displays. The LED-exterior will speak to the advanced technology of the city as it will have the ability to convert the number of visitors into pixels to form images for display.

Scousers love their Beatles, boys in red

Beatles and soccer fans are sure to find something to interest them at the Liverpool pavilion inside the UBPA.

Recognized for its world heritage sites, and stars of yesteryear (Beatle John Lennon) and today (midfielder Steven Gerrard), the commercial city in the north of England is renowned for its passion and commitment to arts, music, culture and sport.

Over the past 10 years Liverpool has expanded quickly but not without careful attention to the protection of its historical heritage sites. The number of museums in Liverpool today, for example, outnumbers that of any other city in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Liverpool's economy is driving the region forward.

The 900-sq-m expo pavilion will focus on how the city engineered such growth, and how it is working to ensure this rapid development does not come at the expense of its heritage sites.

It will also place an accent on entertainment and fun.

Upon entering the structure, visitors will find themselves inside a room housing a cruise liner where they can experience a virtual trip from Shanghai to Liverpool. The route will take the form of a 10-minute 3D film highlighting the city's culture, business expertise and historical achievements.

Using the latest technology, visitors will also be able to play a simulated game of soccer and take penalties against a virtual goalkeeper.

Ingenuity is key for Hamburg

Though long known for its beautiful waterfront, there is much more to Hamburg, a vibrant economic hub that plays a leading role in the manufacturing of aircraft and electronic products.

As the city wants to surrender neither its economic prosperity nor its natural splendor, it has recently been carving a new role for itself in the field of climate protection.

Its high environmental standards and practices have imposed energy-efficient practices and facilities in its industries, earning the city a good reputation for high-quality living. This will be demonstrated to visitors at the Hamburg House, which is designed to consume the least amount of energy while providing enough power to ensure people are comfortable. The 2,300-sq-m house will combine old and new architectural elements to convey the idea of sustainable development through building and construction.

Hamburg will welcome visitors as "living organisms", meant to illustrate that people have the power to influence their surroundings with their individual ideas, energy and initiatives. The city aims to prove that individuals harness a great degree of ingenuity which can be transferred into environmentally friendly solutions in answering rising challenges involved with the sustainable development and advancement of modern cities.