In 2010 Shanghai hosted the largest, most spectacular and most expensive expo ever. Attracting a staggering 73 million visitors, and costing around US$45 billion dollars, Shanghai Expo broke the record books in the history of world's fairs and universal expositions. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, many of which face uncertain futures, this mega event confronted some of the key challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century, with its theme Better City, Better Life.

Held just two years after the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai Expo was encapsulated by a moment in history defined by China’s rise as a global superpower, and by the multiple challenges associated with developing more sustainable cities. The thirteen essays here, written by a team of inter-disciplinary researchers, offer a uniquely detailed analysis of this globally significant event. Chapters examine displays of futurity and utopia, the limitations of inter-cultural dialogue, and the ways in which this mega-event reflected its geo-political and cultural moment. Substantive attention is also given to the interplay between declarations towards urban sustainability and the recent economic, demographic and socio-political trajectories of Shanghai and China more broadly.