Expo Zaragoza 2008
The boost of water

After five years of work, Zaragoza’s efforts have been rewarded with the success of its candidature to host the World Expo 2008, announced last December in Paris. Entitled “Water and Sustainable Development”, the project that is expected to receive about 7.5 million visitors during its first three months, aims to make a decisive contribution to the international projection of the Aragonese city..

After passing the other two competing cities on the last lap, Trieste (Italy) and Salonika (Greece), Zaragoza went on to win the title of host city for the World Exhibition 2009 on the theme of Water and Sustainable Development. After five years of hard work, the city, which presented the project with the intention of commemorating the bicentenary of Los Sitios and the centenary of the Hispano-French Exhibition of 1908, won after the tough voting that took place at the International Exhibition Bureau (BIE), in Paris. Now that the candidature has been approved, a new phase begins in the urban redevelopment necessary for staging the event that will involve an investment of 1,500 million euros.

Expo 2008 will be an important urban driving force, a boost that will also benefit the province and the rest of the Autonomous Region of Aragon. Over the next three years, the organization anticipates the stetting up of new infrastructures and roads, as well as a communication plan aimed at projecting its image overseas. Its appointment is a landmark for the city and its area of influence after the modernization and considerable expansion of recent years, since the international exhibition is expected to have multiplier effects on the local and regional economy, adding to the boom produced by the arrival of the AVE (high-speed train) and the project for the big transport logistics platform linked to the future central trans-Pyrenean hub.

Zaragoza City Hall will provide the land on which Expo grounds will be located, and will build the Expo village and city, the approaches to the grounds and the infrastructures to be used by the Expo venue. Moreover, it will undertake the approaches to the Third Millennium bridge and the water supply and drainage facilities for the city. While the Aragon Government will participate in infrastructure projects, such as the Goya Venue, metropolitan and urban transport and the construction of a Conference Centre. As regards environment plans, the Regional Government will reclaim the banks of rivers in the province and make landscape and facility improvements, by adapting the environment site of La Alfranca.

For more information: Expo Zaragoza 2008 www.zaragozaexpo2008.es

Amongst other infrastructures being prepared for the event, Zaragoza will see new urban features over the next few months, namely the Third Millennium Bridge connecting both banks of the Ebro beside the meander, and the interchange station, plus a suburban rail network and light railway.

Zaragoza has already hosted three big exhibitions throughout its history: in 1868, 1885 and 1980. Expo 2008 will be the fourth, thanks to the considerable modernization plans to be carried out for its international projection.

At present, Zaragoza has almost 650,000 inhabitants and it is estimated that by 2008 the population could exceed 715,000, a figure that may make the dream come true for Zaragoza to rank up among the top cities in Spain, behind Madrid and Barcelona. It is forecast that this project could involve tourism receipts of over a thousand million euros and the creation of about 9,500 jobs.