Thus is the theme of the sixth and last Expo Theme Forum, "Harmonious Cities and Livable Life," the forum opening today in the ancient Chinese city of Hangzhou, celebrated for its scenic beauty and investment-friendly environment.
Experts from around the world spoke of building "smarter, greener cities" that could balance development with social cohesion and environmental considerations. Chinese speakers stressed especially the need to pursue growth, with "Chinese characteristics" and in a way that is consistent with the Chinese philosophy of harmony.
In the words of Lu Yongxiang, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who delivered an opening remark, China is at a juncture in its development path and it must "customize [its] own way for growth," finding "synergy between materialism and spiritualism."
Moreover, China, as the most populous country in the world, faces numerous challenges borne of the new pressures urbanization exerts on our planet, according to Jiang Weixin, Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; China would face these challenges through the pursuit of scientific innovation, he said.
Jiang Weixin, Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
According to Inga Bjork-Klevby, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat, other countries could also learn from the example of China, Hangzhou in particular being a good example of a livable city. She urged countries to be proactive in tackling challenges posed by urbanization.
Inga Bjork-Klevby, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat
For his part, the Secretary-General of the BIE, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, articulated the role of Expos in helping to create harmonious cities: Expos help to form discerning and conscientious citizens through the public education they offer, and such citizens are the foundation of better cities. Expos remind us, furthermore, that "there are many paths for progress" and that, like music, "urban harmony combines different voices, identities, and paces."
Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary-General of the BIE
The notion of social harmony and the livability of a city – and what they mean in creating more competitive cities now and in the future— were further explored by a panel of speakers, offering a variety of perspectives from academics, businessmen, city planners, architects, government officials, and officials of international organizations.
Scene of the forum
Three parallel sessions and a roundtable were organized during the day, each dedicated to a sub-theme of today's forum: "Cooperation between Cities and Regions," "Infrastructures and Services in Harmonious Cities," "Harmonious Cities and Women Wisdom," and "Housing Policies and Livable Life."
The forum is jointly organized by the Chinese Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Executive Committee of Expo 2010 Shanghai China, UN-Habitat, and Hangzhou Municipal Government.
