Cities of the past and the future
Le Monde diplomatique
-----------------------------------------------------
March 2008
THIRD GOLDEN AGE FOR IZMIR
Cities of the past and the future
___________________________________________________________
What would it mean if Turkey became the first country in the
region to host an expo? And how did the expo begin? Marina Da
Silva asked Vicente Gonzales Loscertales
by Marina Da Silva
___________________________________________________________
There are two kinds of expo: world and international. World
expos run for six months, are held every five years,
concentrate on a general theme and transform a large part of
the host city. The 350-hectare site requires massive urban
reconstruction to improve its design; participating countries
can build their own pavilions which, according to the rules,
must then be demolished, unless their architectural value
leads the host country to negotiate their preservation.
International expos - held between world expos - are much
less expensive. They cover only 25 hectares and last a
maximum of three months. The pavilions are built by the host
city, and smaller scale construction and infrastructure is
required. What is produced can be recycled, allowing host
cities to recover part of their investment quickly and
acquire development assets in line with their own strategic
plans. These exhibitions have specialised themes. The first
expo of the 21st century will be held in Shanghai in 2010 on
the theme "Better City, Better Life".
The concept of expos grew out of the expansion of
industrialisation: empire-building nations wanted to show
that they were at the forefront of modernity and material
progress, capable of transforming nature and controlling the
world. The first "world expo" was London's Great Exhibition
in 1851. From then on they evolved in parallel with political
and social developments. Initially, they were meetings where
states could parade their industrial products, innovations
and power. After the second world war a new idea developed
and the aim became more general, encompassing social and
cultural achievements.
Rivalry between France and Britain in the 19th century led to
an increase in the number of expos. The first expo in Paris
was in 1855, and then again in 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900,
with the last large one in 1937. The appearance of modern
Paris owes much to them - the Eiffel Tower was built for the
exhibition commemorating the centenary of the French
Revolution, the Grand and Petit Palais were built for the
1900 exhibition, and the Palais de Chaillot and the Palais de
Tokyo for that of 1937.
Historical context can have a significant impact on the
exhibitions. As Vicente Gonzales Loscertales, secretary
general of the International Exhibitions Bureau, explains:
"The 1937 exhibition was marked by the extreme political
tension of the period - German and Italian fascism versus
Soviet communism. This was a real pre-war exhibition and a
very militant one; in the throes of civil war, Spain's
pavilion mobilised many anti-fascist intellectuals and
included Picasso's Guernica. But the exhibitions are prepared
far in advance. In the early stages there is always an
impression of normality and then all of a sudden a crisis
blows up."
At the Seville expo in 1992 the scheduled pavilion for the
USSR became the Russian Federation pavilion, and then that of
the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Yugoslav
Federation pavilion disintegrated like the country. Germany
started with two pavilions and ended with one.
Popular acclaim
In the 1990s the concept went through a crisis. Some began to
wonder whether these events still had a purpose; others asked
whether the idea remained valid when globalisation proposed a
united world dominated by capitalism and multinational
corporations.
But the number of applicants wanting to organise exhibitions
kept growing and the public attended in ever greater numbers.
The Seville exhibition in 1992 had 41 million visitors in six
months, four times more than Disneyland Paris that year. The
expo in Hanover in 2000 had 19 million visitors in five
months - almost double the number visiting the Millennium
Dome in London that year.
Loscertales accepts that the concept had to adapt. To give it
modern political value, millions of visitors had to be
attracted by large themes: food, health, sustainable
development. The applicant country chooses the theme, a major
factor in deciding whether an application is accepted: themes
high on the international agenda are in favour. The
exhibition in Hanover took up the issues of the Rio
conference on the environment and the UN's Agenda 21. And the
themes promoted at Aichi in Japan in 2005 (nature's wisdom)
and Saragossa in 2008 (water and the sustainable development
of cities) were taken from the UN's millennium objectives.
The expos went beyond government to include NGOs, companies
and cities. Loscertales argues that these exhibitions have
become a powerful forum for dialogue, giving people access to
important international debates. Their perspective is not
only political in power but also in the way that they take
into consideration the cultural development of each country,
respecting civilisations, identities and religions. They are
a dialogue between civilisations, not a clash.
States, not cities, apply to be hosts, as part of their
development priorities. Although investment by host cities
might be disproportionate, Loscertales says the exhibitions
encourage economic activity and generate revenue. Investment
is not wasted. When they are well designed, they transform
and modernise a country. Lisbon hosted the 1998 exhibition
because Portugal had decided to modernise its capital - the
exhibition was just a pretext. The city was extended
eastwards, its transport system improved and the urban area
increased, as did tourist revenue. The operation cost the
state /-500m ($729m) but it has provided much more in return.
Loscertales claims expos improve infrastructure and generate
considerable money, which can be invested in the social
sector.
The two candidate cities for the 2015 world expo, Izmir
(formerly Smyrna) and Milan, are proposing important themes:
health for Izmir and food for Milan. In Turkey's case, an
enormous effort is under way to improve public health and so
the theme is health for all. "Milan is a large, developed
western European city and a centre for design and Italian
industry. Izmir is a modern and dynamic Mediterranean, almost
Middle Eastern, city with a great historical tradition, and
is a centre of Hellenic and Byzantine culture, creating a
very open city... it borders a turbulent region," says
Loscertales.
There is great dynamism in the Turkish economy, along with
both modernisation and a rise in religious feeling. Turkey is
a member of both Nato and the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference. It is also an EU candidate country, a moderate
political partner with a liberal economy and a vast market.
If the exhibition is held there, Turkey will be the first
country in the region to host such an event. For Loscertales,
Milan is the safe bet but Izmir is a gamble on the future,
opening the door to a country that should be made welcome.
Visitors from across the world would be attracted to an
exhibition at the crossroads of civilisations and cultures.
The decision will be taken by the 140 member states of the
International Exhibitions Bureau after a secret ballot and
the result announced on 31 March.
________________________________________________________
Marina Da Silva is a journalist
Translated by Morag Young
________________________________________________________
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1997-2008 Le Monde diplomatique
-----------------------------------------------------
March 2008
THIRD GOLDEN AGE FOR IZMIR
Cities of the past and the future
___________________________________________________________
What would it mean if Turkey became the first country in the
region to host an expo? And how did the expo begin? Marina Da
Silva asked Vicente Gonzales Loscertales
by Marina Da Silva
___________________________________________________________
There are two kinds of expo: world and international. World
expos run for six months, are held every five years,
concentrate on a general theme and transform a large part of
the host city. The 350-hectare site requires massive urban
reconstruction to improve its design; participating countries
can build their own pavilions which, according to the rules,
must then be demolished, unless their architectural value
leads the host country to negotiate their preservation.
International expos - held between world expos - are much
less expensive. They cover only 25 hectares and last a
maximum of three months. The pavilions are built by the host
city, and smaller scale construction and infrastructure is
required. What is produced can be recycled, allowing host
cities to recover part of their investment quickly and
acquire development assets in line with their own strategic
plans. These exhibitions have specialised themes. The first
expo of the 21st century will be held in Shanghai in 2010 on
the theme "Better City, Better Life".
The concept of expos grew out of the expansion of
industrialisation: empire-building nations wanted to show
that they were at the forefront of modernity and material
progress, capable of transforming nature and controlling the
world. The first "world expo" was London's Great Exhibition
in 1851. From then on they evolved in parallel with political
and social developments. Initially, they were meetings where
states could parade their industrial products, innovations
and power. After the second world war a new idea developed
and the aim became more general, encompassing social and
cultural achievements.
Rivalry between France and Britain in the 19th century led to
an increase in the number of expos. The first expo in Paris
was in 1855, and then again in 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900,
with the last large one in 1937. The appearance of modern
Paris owes much to them - the Eiffel Tower was built for the
exhibition commemorating the centenary of the French
Revolution, the Grand and Petit Palais were built for the
1900 exhibition, and the Palais de Chaillot and the Palais de
Tokyo for that of 1937.
Historical context can have a significant impact on the
exhibitions. As Vicente Gonzales Loscertales, secretary
general of the International Exhibitions Bureau, explains:
"The 1937 exhibition was marked by the extreme political
tension of the period - German and Italian fascism versus
Soviet communism. This was a real pre-war exhibition and a
very militant one; in the throes of civil war, Spain's
pavilion mobilised many anti-fascist intellectuals and
included Picasso's Guernica. But the exhibitions are prepared
far in advance. In the early stages there is always an
impression of normality and then all of a sudden a crisis
blows up."
At the Seville expo in 1992 the scheduled pavilion for the
USSR became the Russian Federation pavilion, and then that of
the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Yugoslav
Federation pavilion disintegrated like the country. Germany
started with two pavilions and ended with one.
Popular acclaim
In the 1990s the concept went through a crisis. Some began to
wonder whether these events still had a purpose; others asked
whether the idea remained valid when globalisation proposed a
united world dominated by capitalism and multinational
corporations.
But the number of applicants wanting to organise exhibitions
kept growing and the public attended in ever greater numbers.
The Seville exhibition in 1992 had 41 million visitors in six
months, four times more than Disneyland Paris that year. The
expo in Hanover in 2000 had 19 million visitors in five
months - almost double the number visiting the Millennium
Dome in London that year.
Loscertales accepts that the concept had to adapt. To give it
modern political value, millions of visitors had to be
attracted by large themes: food, health, sustainable
development. The applicant country chooses the theme, a major
factor in deciding whether an application is accepted: themes
high on the international agenda are in favour. The
exhibition in Hanover took up the issues of the Rio
conference on the environment and the UN's Agenda 21. And the
themes promoted at Aichi in Japan in 2005 (nature's wisdom)
and Saragossa in 2008 (water and the sustainable development
of cities) were taken from the UN's millennium objectives.
The expos went beyond government to include NGOs, companies
and cities. Loscertales argues that these exhibitions have
become a powerful forum for dialogue, giving people access to
important international debates. Their perspective is not
only political in power but also in the way that they take
into consideration the cultural development of each country,
respecting civilisations, identities and religions. They are
a dialogue between civilisations, not a clash.
States, not cities, apply to be hosts, as part of their
development priorities. Although investment by host cities
might be disproportionate, Loscertales says the exhibitions
encourage economic activity and generate revenue. Investment
is not wasted. When they are well designed, they transform
and modernise a country. Lisbon hosted the 1998 exhibition
because Portugal had decided to modernise its capital - the
exhibition was just a pretext. The city was extended
eastwards, its transport system improved and the urban area
increased, as did tourist revenue. The operation cost the
state /-500m ($729m) but it has provided much more in return.
Loscertales claims expos improve infrastructure and generate
considerable money, which can be invested in the social
sector.
The two candidate cities for the 2015 world expo, Izmir
(formerly Smyrna) and Milan, are proposing important themes:
health for Izmir and food for Milan. In Turkey's case, an
enormous effort is under way to improve public health and so
the theme is health for all. "Milan is a large, developed
western European city and a centre for design and Italian
industry. Izmir is a modern and dynamic Mediterranean, almost
Middle Eastern, city with a great historical tradition, and
is a centre of Hellenic and Byzantine culture, creating a
very open city... it borders a turbulent region," says
Loscertales.
There is great dynamism in the Turkish economy, along with
both modernisation and a rise in religious feeling. Turkey is
a member of both Nato and the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference. It is also an EU candidate country, a moderate
political partner with a liberal economy and a vast market.
If the exhibition is held there, Turkey will be the first
country in the region to host such an event. For Loscertales,
Milan is the safe bet but Izmir is a gamble on the future,
opening the door to a country that should be made welcome.
Visitors from across the world would be attracted to an
exhibition at the crossroads of civilisations and cultures.
The decision will be taken by the 140 member states of the
International Exhibitions Bureau after a secret ballot and
the result announced on 31 March.
________________________________________________________
Marina Da Silva is a journalist
Translated by Morag Young
________________________________________________________
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1997-2008 Le Monde diplomatique
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