Shanghai World EXPO 2010 - The Preparation
By Søren Grinderslev

All eyes continue to be on China. Following the successful 2008 Beijing Olympics, China’s largest city, Shanghai, seized its own opportunity to catch global attention by hosting the 2010 World Fair Expo. With an investment of $50 billion, which actually exceeds the amount put into infrastructure for the Beijing Olympics, and with an anticipated record-setting 70 million visitors (95 percent from inside of China), it is the hope that the six-month-long exhibition will pay off with a nice portion of national pride, goodwill, and respect for China. Economically, it offers a great opportunity for Shanghai. Economists estimate that the World Expo improved Shanghai’s GDP by two percent during the preparation period, and that it will help to boost the city’s GDP by five percent in 2010. During the six-month duration of the Shanghai World Expo, it is estimated that tourism will generate approximately RMB 80 billion ($11.8 billion) in income for Shanghai.

The Auspicious Location
The site chosen for the Expo event extends between the Lupu Bridge and the Nanpu Bridge along both sides of the banks of the Huangpu River, which forms the separation between the new Pudong financial district and the old Puxi downtown area of Shanghai. The name Pudong literally means east of the Huangpu river (dong = east) and Puxi means west (xi = west) of the Huangpu. The Pudong district, which contains most of the pavilions, covers a huge 523sqkm (202sqmi) and is divided into four distinct areas. The high skyscrapers of Lujiaozui make up the new financial district, while the northern area is home to large international industrial complexes. In addition, Pudong is also the location of the large international airport and an extensive farming area. So this location is symbolic of old and new China in many ways, and the Expo showcases this changing cultural and economic identity.

Relocation
So how did one of the world’s largest cities, with over 20 million residents, manage to clear off a 5.28-square-km area for the EXPO grounds? The answer was straightforward, but not an easy task to execute. China relocated the population, tore down all obstacles, and built new infrastructure to accommodate the site. This involved the relocation of 18,000 families, or approximately 54,000 residents, and more than 270 factories, most of which were outdated and heavy polluters. The factory relocation included the nearly 150-year old Jiangnan shipyard, which employed 10,000 workers. The shipyard was moved to Changxing, an island off the coast of Shanghai. The $3.6 billion relocation project of the shipyard included construction of new piers and docks along a 3.8km long coastline.

The first step of the relocation process created housing for all the relocated families. The Minhang district on the east bank of the river and a section of the suburban Pudong district were chosen as the new settlement areas. The newly established communities were given names such as Pujiang World Expo Area, Sanlin World Expo Park, and Sanlin Expo Garden. Considering that a large portion of the affected families had deep roots in the area along the river and had lived there for generations, much care was taken during the planning phases to avoid apprehension or reluctance to the move. The government tried very hard to live up to the Expo 2010 theme of “Better City, Better Life.” From the beginning, emphasis was placed on the transparency of the project, including public notices of all the detailed plans. Great effort was made to provide the residents with thorough information on the relocation policies, the procedures, the resettling contracts, and the legal rights of relocating families. Local committees were formed to listen to and try to address any concerns expressed about the compensation and the sometimes complicated ownership relationships that had to be sorted out.

As it turned out, few, if any, of the citizens of the new communities were dissatisfied. Many families moved away from a situation where up to three generations were living together in crammed, leaky housing without private toilets. Some of the housing was more than 200 years old and either had none or only an occasional attachment built on to serve as a kitchen. These residents now live in new air-conditioned housing that is twice as large as their old one. In addition, they have received monetary compensation that was paid according to the current real estate value. One owner was paid 600,000 RMB ($88,744) for his 40sqm old housing and purchased a new 109sqm apartment in the Pujiang development for 400,000RMB ($59,138). The new housing provides neighborhoods that are cleaner and greener and also have more community activities than they had before. For example, Sanlin’s community center offers an array of services ranging from employment assistance to recreational activities. Citizen’s discussion groups have been established, and it is there that any flaws or lack of facilities are brought up. An example of this was the complaint that there are few clothes drying possibilities on the balconies of the new highrise buildings. In the old communities, clotheslines were a given, and abundant. This, however, was a problem of a much smaller magnitude than that of the entire relocation challenge.

Infrastructure
The Shanghai metro system began operation in 1995. Since then it has experienced a rapid expansion. Several new lines were built and new extensions opened in the months prior to the start of the Expo event. In the past three years the number of metro lines has increased from five to 12. By April 2010, the 12 lines were serving 268 stations and a 430km (267mi) length of track. A newly added line 13 connects only to the Expo from the Puxi downtown area and is dedicated (and free) to Expo ticket-holding visitors. It is therefore possible to travel from either of the city’s two airports to the Expo site entirely by use of the metro—with only one transfer required. Currently, the metro departures are frequent and very affordable, making it a very popular means of transportation. The alternative is the increasingly congested traffic above ground. The basic metro fare is 3 RMB ($0.45) for travel less than 6km (3.75mi), with 1 RMB ($0.15) added for each additional 10km (6.2mi). The system is still growing, and more new lines and extensions are under construction. The current plan anticipates 22 lines by 2020 with an 877km (550mi) rail length. The official Shanghai Metro Internet site lists the daily rider average to be 4.78 million. A record was set on August 16, 2010, with 6.735 million daily riders. Let’s not forget to mention the MagLev train (magnetic levitation), which started its service in 2004, and is the only commercially high-speed Maglev train in the world. It runs from Pudong Airport to Longyang metro station in Pudong, a total distance of 30km (18.6mi), and covers the distance in only seven minutes and 20 seconds. Maximum speed reached during the ride is 431km/hr. (268mph) making it the fastest commercial train ride in the world.

The two airports of Shanghai, Pudong and Hongqiao, have been upgraded in order to be able to handle the increased influx of tourists. The international Pudong Airport received one new terminal and three new runways, while a second terminal and one new runway were added to the mainly domestic airport Hongqiao. Roads throughout the area have been added or widened, resulting in 747km of high-speed highways at the time the Expo opened, a 20 percent increase compared to 2008. Thirty-eight roads were built around the Expo alone. The famous Bund waterfront area received a $732 million renovation that was two years in the making, but can now offer an improved and extended 2.5km riverside promenade. This was made possible in part by diverting 70 percent of the traffic through a new underground two-tier tunnel.

Before the 1990s, any resident who wanted to cross the Huangpu River had to take a ferry, as there were no bridges or tunnels. Today, ferry crossings are mainly for sightseeing tourists. During the last year before the Expo opening, six newly built tunnels were opened, increasing the total number of tunnels to 12. As most of these tunnels are 2.5km long, it is an incredible feat and a testimony to how efficiently the Chinese are able to get things done. Besides the many tunnels, there are now eight bridges serving as river crossings, including the latest addition, Minpu Bridge, which opened in December 2009 as Shanghai’s first double-decker bridge.  

On Best Behavior
In addition to the focus on infrastructure, the city has also made an attempt to educate its residents on proper manners and making foreign visitors feel welcome. In the months leading up to the Expo opening, the government sponsored several programs encouraging millions of people to learn how to speak English. Radio and TV programs were aired to teach residents useful sentences. The “Seven Do Not” campaign, which has been active for nearly 10 years with a rather limited success, was refreshed and posted in many public places: “no spitting, no littering, no vandalism of public property, no damaging greenery, no jaywalking, no smoking in public places, and no use of dirty words.” The campaign seems to have had a limited success in the elimination of these habits, as most of these “don’ts” still appear to be considered acceptable. What caused the most attention was the request for people to wear proper street attire, as many Shanghai residents were accustomed to wearing pajamas in public. These pajamas are basically of the loose-fitting, non-revealing cotton or polyester types. There are several stories as to why this PJ display has been popular. Probably the most credible one is that it started in the ‘30s as a status symbol and a way to show off your wealth. In an attempt to stifle this custom, red signs reading “Pajamas don’t go out of the door” and “Be a civilized resident for the Expo” were seen throughout the city. The “pajama police,” mostly local neighborhood volunteers, tried to convince residents to be “civilized” and change to a more respectable outfit.

The New Normal
In the years leading up to the Expo, Shanghai has looked like one large construction zone. Anywhere you went, there was noisy and dusty construction, sometimes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everything had to be picture perfect. The city removed all eyesores to make room for new buildings, and what wasn’t replaced was covered up. Landscaping beautified the city as hundreds of workers planted flowers and bushes. Attractive walls were raised to cover empty lots and everything else was given a fresh coat of paint. The global downturn was minimally felt in this bustling city. No one had the time to notice. The construction was so heavy that residents would find a fresh layer of dust covering any outdoor surface even if it had been cleaned the night before. You could always hear, see, or smell the activity. When the Expo finally opened, construction was banned within a large radius of the event. As much as the local residents have enjoyed a quiet summer with clean air and blue skies, when the Expo closes, all the cranes, demolition steel balls, and concrete hammers will start singing again.

It is generally believed that the infrastructure improvements to Shanghai and its suburbs triggered by the Expo have brought the area forward in time by 20 years. However, some say that what the city has gained in modernization, it has lost in urban character—too many of the city’s charming old lane houses have been destroyed in the name of progress.

When it is all over
When the Expo 2010 closes its doors on October 31, what will happen to the pavilions and exhibition halls built to house the record-setting 192 countries and 50 organizations participating in the event? The International Exposition Bureau had initially announced that all pavilions were to be dismantled and removed when the exposition was over. Some countries intend to take down their structures and ship them home for reassembly. Only the five Chinese landmark structures will remain intact as permanent buildings on the grounds: The China Pavilion, The Theme Pavilion, The Expo Boulevard, The World Expo Center, and The Expo Performance Center. The city of Shanghai intends to use these buildings as future sites for business exhibitions, conferences, and art performances.

Dr. Søren Grinderslev, Tyco Electronics, Fiber Optics Lab
Grinderslev holds a doctorate from The Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and has more than 25 years experience in the field of fiber optics. He holds a position as principal with Tyco Electronics, has been awarded 18 patents, and has authored several papers. Currently, Grinderslev is on an assignment for Tyco Electronics in Shanghai, PRC.

All comments in this article are based on Grinderslev's personal views and experience obtained during his stay in China and do not reflect the views of his employer.

You may contact Grinderslev at soren.grinderslev@te.com.