Shanghai World Expo 2010

Shanghai, China

The City of Shanghai selected Perkins Eastman as one of three international finalists to plan the city's World Expo in 2010. The team developed final plan concepts for the 5.28 km2 (two square-mile) Expo, which is expected to attract 70 to 100 million visitors-possibly the largest in history. The City has set aside more than 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) on both sides of its downtown riverfront as the future site for this major event.

The Expo's theme, “Better City, Better Life,” was interpreted by the Perkins Eastman team through the development of a conceptual framework focused on the river, surrounded by a “string of pearls” along which the permanent pavilions and landmark structures would be constructed. The proposed framework for the Expo includes infrastructure, parks, roadways, transportation, and cultural facilities that will guide the development of future neighborhoods in the heart of Shanghai after the Expo concludes.

The Expo is organized into parcels of seven concept cities, each representing new urban paradigms reflecting urban life in the 21stcentury. The plan is further organized using the framework of the river, and is further articulated with theme pavilions, boulevards, plazas, and landmark structures.