On September 20th, 2007, the International Selection Committee for the Urban Best Practices Area met in Shanghai for the second time this year to establish the criteria that will lead to the selection of the cases to be presented in this highly innovative area of Expo Shanghai 2010.

Professor Zhou Hanmin, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, stressed that this initiative represents a major highlight for Shanghai 2010 because of the thematic force of this area. The guiding principles for the selection of the practices to be displayed will strive to achieve a balance between cases from developed and developing countries as well as between social and architectural aspects.

Mr Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary-General of the BIE and Co-Chair of the Selection Committee, explained that this is one of the most important projects for future Expos. He said that "if Expos are large dialogues of the international community with the goal to bring to the public the solutions that change quality of life in a positive direction, then Best Practices is a way of sharing solutions with a spirit of solidarity".

While the first meeting of the International Selection Committee laid the foundation for an international mobilisation to submit best practices, this second meeting clarified the selection criteria, which include: the social value of each case and the efforts of cities to develop projects that engage the whole community.

Mrs Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and Co-Chair of the Selection Committee, said that for the UN this is a development that shows the value that lies in bringing the world together to share experiences. "We live in a historical time of transition towards the 'homo urbanus'. With over 50% of people living in cities, we need to understand what it implies to become an urban species. In this environment sustainable urbanisation is key to achieving sustainable development".

The International Selection Committee will meet again in Shanghai early next year. There are 111 cases on the candidate list for the UBPA, a 15-hectare area in the Expo Site. Among the 111 cases, 40 are proposed by cities themselves, 46 recommended by UNESCO, and 25 by the World Bank.