Just ended a remarkable month for the cooperation between EU and China. A series of key events were organized along those days, and the first “EU-China Exhibition on Urban Development” was certainly one of the most important. The 4-day exhibition, organized and promoted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the European Commission and the China Center for Urban Development (CCUD) on the background of the “EU-China Partnership on Urbanisation”, was held in Beijing from Nov 20th to the 23rd. It aimed at promoting collaboration between cities and enterprises of both sides in hope that challenges arising from China’s urbanization could be faced in a new, fruitful way. The relevant number of both European and Chinese exhibitors involved – more than 150 – further demonstrated how crucial the topic is, and how much the two sides are willing to cooperate and support each other to achieve positive outcomes.Progetto CMR was one of the protagonists of the event, with its own booth inside the hall dedicated to the “Livable City” theme. In a natural and cozy environment, the Italian integrated design firm shared with the numerous visitors its long experience in term of Sustainable Development and Innovation, two of the key themes of the exhibition, offering an overview of its latest achievements in and contributions to sustainable planning and architecture in China.These topics, along with others, were also the main focus of the side conferences that were held along the exhibition. In particular, Mr. Massimo Bagnasco, as Chairman of the Construction Working Group in the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, moderated the panel discussion on “Smart City” on Nov 22nd, where he took the opportunity to ask to Chinese and European professionals and experts their opinions on sustainable urban development in China and on how this can be well combined with human and social dimensions.
