In 2014, the first global home event of World City Day was launched in Shanghai and returned to Shanghai again this year.

World City Day was nurtured by the theme of the Shanghai World Expo, "Better City, Better Life". It is the first international day with a city as the theme established by the United Nations, and the first international day initiated by the Chinese government and widely recognized and supported by the international community. Over the past eight years, Shanghai has attached great importance to the city day work, and requires to rely on the city day platform to "make greater influence and reflect more Shanghai elements and Shanghai voice". During this period, the urban landscape of Shanghai has also undergone tremendous changes. The rising sense of happiness of citizens is the best interpretation of the general theme of the World City Day, "Better City, Better Life".

In the golden autumn season, the best practice area of Puxi Park of the World Expo by the Huangpu River is very beautiful. During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the exhibition hall transformed from the old industrial base gathered a variety of innovation and demonstration practice cases carried out by global cities to improve the quality of life. After the World Expo, the Shanghai Case Pavilion, the London Case Pavilion, the Hamburg Case Pavilion and other Expo venues with ecological value have been completely preserved. The 15 hectare park has become a "home gate park" for the surrounding residents to rest and play after lunch, and an investment hotspot for well-known enterprises at home and abroad. The imagination of "buildings can be read, streets should be strolled, and cities have temperature" has been quietly realized.

Looking across the bank, the original site of the Shanghai World Expo in the Houtan area of Pudong can be described as a "golden area" for development, but it has not been used for commercial development. Here, the Expo Cultural Park with a total size of about 2 million square meters is gradually open to the public. The park includes seven theme parks, including the Expo Garden and the Shenyuan Garden, with green space accounting for more than 80%. When completed, it will become the largest open park in the central urban area of Shanghai center, practicing the concept of "leaving the best resources to the people".

In recent years, Shanghai has deeply practiced the important concept of "People's City" and made every effort to build a beautiful home suitable for business, living, entertainment and tourism. Shanghai has made great efforts to promote urban and rural construction, and the urban infrastructure system has been constantly improved. A layout of "4 bridges and 15 tunnels" has been formed along the river crossing channel in the central urban area. A large number of scientific, technological, cultural and sports facilities have been built, including the Shanghai Planetarium, the East Hall of Shanghai Library, and the Shanghai Pudong Football Stadium. At the same time, the changes in the field of people's livelihood also echo the people's yearning for a better life. This year, a large number of old buildings in central Shanghai center were closed ahead of schedule, bringing a successful end to this 30-year livelihood work.

At present, Shanghai is speeding up the transformation of "two old villages and one village" to continuously improve the living conditions of the people. The 45km coastline along the Huangpu River and 42km coastline on both sides of the Suzhou Creek are open to the outside world. The former "industrial rust belt" is becoming a "life show belt" and "development embroidery belt". 2756 elevators have been installed in the existing multi-storey residential buildings, which has solved the travel problems of a group of elderly people; The work of overhead lines entering the ground and the protection and repair of historical buildings has changed the old look of Wukang Building and other old buildings.

At the same time, we will build and raise affordable rental housing, focus on solving the stage housing difficulties of new citizens and young people, and strive to make the city's struggling people live more at ease, at ease and at ease. "Road+" pleasant blocks, "life circle+" convenient services, "parks+" colorful world... Shanghai has made great efforts to embroider, and the modernization level of urban governance has continued to improve. "One network for all" allows more data to run away, "one network for all" makes the city more intelligent, and the digital transformation of Shanghai's urban governance speeds up and increases efficiency.

It is reported that Shanghai's exploration and practice is a microcosm of China's adherence to the road of sustainable development and the promotion of new urbanization. Shanghai will, with greater determination and more practical measures, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, strive to write a new chapter in the people's city of the new era, and strive to create a better city and a happier life.

It is reported that during this World City Day, Shanghai's exploration and practice were also included in the 2022 Shanghai Manual in the form of cases and columns. At the same time, two books in the series of "Exploration and Practice of Shanghai's' People's City 'Construction in the New Era", "Urban Practice with Green Waters and Mountains - Green Buildings Volume" and "If things that concern the vital interests of the people are any more difficult, we should find ways to solve them - Old Area Reconstruction Volume" were also launched during the activity, which comprehensively reflected the 30 year old area reconstruction process of Shanghai and the practical achievements of urban green construction. In addition, as a new achievement of World City Day, the Global Sustainable Development City Award ("Shanghai Award") was officially announced by UN Habitat on March 30, 2022.

The award is themed on urban sustainable development and aims to recognize outstanding cities that have made outstanding progress in sustainable development worldwide. Next year, the first "Shanghai Award" will be unveiled. The establishment of the "Shanghai Prize" will help promote the sustainable development of global cities and better implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Development Initiative.

Source: People's Day