World Expo closes with a focus on creating better, greener cities

Sun, 31 Oct 2010

Beijing - After six months and record attendance, the World Expo in Shanghai - the first to be held in a developing country - was set to close Sunday.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the event's theme, "Better City, Better Life" had put a focus on tackling the challenges of urbanization.

"Thanks to this Expo, millions of people learned about possibilities for making our cities healthier and safer: cities that better integrate nature and technology, cities that offer their citizens cleaner air and water, and better lives all around," Ban said told a forum in Shanghai.

He also called for closer cooperation in tackling climate change.

"Let us do more to develop renewable sources of energy, and make them affordable to all people," Ban said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said 190 countries and 56 international organizations had participated in what was the largest event in the Expo's 159-year history.

It also saw a record of 73 million visits, with tickets priced at 160 yuan (25 dollars).

"Undeterred by the searing heat or soaking rain, they (visitors) waited patiently in long lines to witness this much-anticipated event," Wen said at the forum.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351190,creating-better-greener-cities.html.