Better city, better life

The first ever World Expo took place in London in 1851, which, as the centre of the industrial revolution, put forward a message of progress and affluence. At that time, ten countries accepted Queen Victoria's invitation to present their nations. With 6.3 million visitors who came to marvel at the products of the new industry with great curiosity, this first version of the exhibition proved to be a huge success.

At the time of this first World Expo, only a small percentage of the world population lived in cities. This rose to 29% in 1950, and the United Nations estimate that as much as 55% of the world population will live in cities in 2010.

These days, we are aware of the risk that unbridled industry and production poses to our living environment and our future. The theme of this World Expo in Shanghai will therefore be “BetterCity, Better Life”: a call for a better existence in our cities of the future through a well-considered urban planning policy and sustainable development.

"BetterCity, Better Life" is all about integrating the natural environment into our landscapes, sustainable construction, a high-quality social environment and guaranteeing our well-being and comfort. However, the theme also focuses on the less well-off, the sharing of values and cultures and peaceful dialogue to help us identify solutions together.

The theme expresses the concerns of China and the international community, and is in keeping with our day-to-day reality in Belgium. The modern, intensive lives that we lead in our cities have meant that we believe it is more important than ever to protect our environment, and to achieve a balance between energy consumption and environmental management. After all, our physical and emotional wellbeing depends on it.