Signs of the 2010 World Expo are literally and figuratively everywhere in Shanghai. Here, outside one of the parks along the main shopping street, we have one of the literal versions. The less obvious but more impactful effect of the Expo on the city is the complete make-over Shanghai received in preparation for the event. The way my friends explained it to me, while an individual owns the interior of their home, the city owns or controls the building facade. So, not only had sidewalks and street lights been replaced or repaired, the government had hung new awnings over windows, added decorative moldings and, in some cases, exterior artwork.
This would be a great undertaking for an municipality, but for a city the size of Shanghai, it seems monumental.
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