ALL THE WORLD IN ONE CITY? ARMENIANS DARE TO DREAM
Sandy Smith
HULIQ.com
May 10 2010
SC
The last time someone tried a building project that brought all the
nations of the world together in one place, the project collapsed when
people could no longer speak the same language. The backers of the
"City of the World" in Armenia expect a dramatically different result.
The Armenian project seeks nothing less than a permanent world
crossroads. This city will be a place where all the world’s peoples
live together, sharing their cultures and traditions.
The City of The World project was formally launched at the opening
of Expo 2010 in Shanghai by the Armenian Pavilion. Ever since the
1850s, international expositions and "world’s fairs" have brought
the nations together to showcase their cultural, scientific, artistic
and mercantile achievements, but the City of the World project aims
for something more durable: a year-round experiment in international
coexistence.
To be situated near the center of Yerevan (capital of Armenia),
the permanent site will contain more than 70 national pavilions that
will serve as cultural showcases and repositories. It will appeal to
visitors from around the world.
The project’s Armenian backers envision the City of the World as a
prototype City of Tomorrow. The project already exists virtually,
at the Web site The site is set up so that
visitors may register to become "citizens" of any of the participating
countries, discuss the issues and ideas associated with running a
city representing an entire planet, and settle in one of the city’s
nationally themed "quarters."