After the Expo's final curtain
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What about the Puxi side of the Expo Park. Will the displays continue?
The Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) and corporate pavilions on the Puxi side display some of the most advanced and modern ideas in urban planning and other fields, which will be essential to urban development in the future. The success of today's Shanghai can be traced back to industrialization and modernization more than 100 years ago. Today's display in the UBPA and corporate pavilions might enlighten some cities or enterprises. So why not change corporate pavilions into the museums of various businesses? Why could the area not become a platform for China's major businesses in the future? Someday the most advanced ideas might develop here.
For creative industries, the workshop is always more important than a mere product display. As we all know, the process of painting interests visitors much more than the final work itself. The UBPA allows us to study how cities evolve and grow, rather than how the city looks like today.
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| Pavilions in the Puxi Zone of the Expo Park may be converted to other uses after the Expo. [Photo by Lin Yan] |
What will Puxi become in the future?
Puxi scored glorious achievements in industrialization early in the last century. China's first cannon and airplane were produced in Puxi. In the future, Puxi will play a leading role in promoting new practices in urban development and the newest technology and trends will be disseminated there.
For average Shanghai residents, what are most important legacies of the Expo?
The huge green land along the Huangpu River will be the biggest legacy for common people. Lovers, children and senior citizens will be able to relax there. This April, I saw a migrant worker couple play with water in Houtan Park. You know the water there used to be polluted and the Expo has changed it. The greatly improved public transportation will be another legacy.
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| Houtan Park will be one of the green legacies of the Expo. [Photo by Lin Yan] |
The sculptures in the Expo Park failed to attract the attention they deserve. What do you think?
It is a fact that pavilions caught the lion's share of attention. Actually, media should take some responsibility for the public's ignorance of the sculptures. Media should have covered them more and increases their visibility. Some sculptures are borrowed and must be returned after the Expo, but most will stay. Shanghai used to have sculptures as one of its city landmarks, but today, it lacks sculptures. If the Expo can bring more sculptures to the city, we would like to hold more Expos.
According to your estimate, how long will it take for the Expo Park to reopen?
The Expo Park is the biggest one in history. I don't think we can finish in several years. New ideas may come about in the process of demolition and transformation. China is witnessing fast urbanization. We cannot picture the final point.
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