PromoBologna in Shanghai for the participants' meeting, Bologna's presence at the World Expo now official
The long march to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai continues. After Bologna's selection from among hundreds of candidates as a "model of virtuous practices" in terms of creativity, technological innovation, urban transformation and social inclusion, the Municipality of Bologna has signed the official World Expo participation agreement.
regarding the presentation of the cities projects. A tour of the Expo site was also organised to view the locations of the pavilions, an area of 5.28 sq km on both sides of the Huangpu River, and to ascertain the construction progress.
The document, signed by the Mayor of Bologna Sergio Cofferati, was handed to the organisers of the World Expo by PromoBologna (the local development agency), appointed technical coordinator by the municipal administration, during the third participants' meeting held in Shanghai on 13th and 14th November. The meeting was attended by 221 international delegations including representatives of Bologna, Milan and Venice (the only Italian cities to be selected), the governmental Commission of Italy for World Expo 2010 Shanghai, the Sino-Italian Cooperation Program for Environment Protection and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (Ice). Next to the ceremonies formalising the participation of the various international entities, conducted in the presence of high-level Expo and BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) officials, there was a full schedule of meetings over the two days. The organisers outlined the preparatory work, as well as the requirements and deadlines for the various stages regarding the presentation of the cities projects. A tour of the Expo site was also organised to view the locations of the pavilions, an area of 5.28 sq km on both sides of the Huangpu River, and to ascertain the construction progress.
The Shanghai World Expo, which is dedicated to the theme "Better city, Better life", will be held from 1st May to 31st October 2010. Bologna, which was selected along with 59 other world cities designated "models of virtuous practices" and "success stories", was granted, free of charge, a space of approximately 300 sqm in the UBPA area (Urban Best Practice Area).
The local development agency is the case-coordinator in the pre-feasibility study in conjunction with its stakeholders (Municipality, Province, Chamber of Commerce) and in close coordination with the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Bologna Trade Fair, with whom collaboration in view of the upcoming deadlines is under consideration. As well as the World Expo organisers, PromoBologna in Shanghai met with representatives of local institutions and the Shanghai office of the Bologna Trade Fair. The objective of the current phase is to define the nature and organisation of Bologna's participation in the World Expo, starting from the involvement of the territory's key players.
The 2010 World Expo will provide an opportunity to explore the potential not only of Bologna, but also of 21st century cities generally; it will be a chance to discover how urban centres evolve and the concept of civilising the planet. For 184 days Shanghai will be a centre of attraction where to discover what is changing in the world's cities: the 2010 World Expo will showcase different experiences of development, advanced urban planning knowledge and new approaches to the human habitat (innovative lifestyles, new work conditions) with the aim of encouraging and promoting sustainable development between communities. It is a unique opportunity to give the more than 70 million visitors expected a 3600 view of the city of Bologna.
Plastic of the area which will host the Expo 2010 pavilions (5.28 sqkm)
UBPA (Urban Best Practice Area) Area Rendering - the space dedicated to the city of Bologna will be hosted within the B3-2 pavilion
UBPA (Urban Best Practice Area) under construction
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