A forum on the futures of cities

In 2010, the city of Shanghai hosted the largest, most spectacular and most expensive world's fair ever. Held just two years after the Beijing Olympics, Expo 2010 Shanghai, China, cost in the region of US$45 billion and attracted a staggering 73 million visitors in the six-month period of May to October. Held in a country currently experiencing a level of urban growth unparalleled in history, Shanghai Expo was given the theme 'Better City, Better Life'. With more than half of the world's population now living in cities, many of which face uncertain futures, this mega-event set out to confront some of the key challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century.