Back to Page 1

The energy of the Forum was evident in the Exposition, which provided facilities for informal meetings, lectures, discussions, debates, and award ceremonies. The video theatre, CineUrbana, provided an opportunity for delegates to see “ideas into action” through the use of video.

Canada, as host of WUF3, had a large interactive pavilion within the Exposition. The Canada Pavilion demonstrated how partnerships - among government, the private sector, and community organizations - contribute to strong and healthy cities and communities. Several Government of Canada departments, along with their non-governmental partners, participated in the Pavilion. The main feature of the Pavilion was the town hall stage where visitors attended presentations, participated in discussions, watched films, and celebrated culture. A highlight of the week was National Aboriginal Day when aboriginal culture was celebrated through dance, music, and food. The International Development Research Centre had a large section where demonstrations of research and projects around the world were showcased. Through the Municipal Global Village, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities brought together regional, national, and global associations of municipal governments to represent their regions. The Village in the Canada Pavilion was a meeting place for municipal officials and others to develop networks and exchange ideas. View the Quicktime Video or the Windows Media Video

A booth in the Exposition area for Habitat JAM served to further highlight the experience of the JAM. It featured the new Habitat JAM movie, interviews, and videos from participants and stakeholders around the world. It promoted Habitat JAM in future WUFs and other international events.

The UN Plaza provided space for organizations to give presentations or address the media. Many groups took advantage of the space, and the numerous press conferences, cultural events, and presentations added flavour and excitement to the Exposition during the whole week. View the Quicktime Video or the Windows Media Video

To mark the 30 th anniversary of the first Habitat Conference, the Exposition featured special memorabilia of previous Habitat events to remind everyone of where we have come from and the action that has been taken. The longest bar, a special feature of Habitat Forum in 1976, was recreated at WUF3.

The organizers of WUF3 wanted to honour the previous discussions around urban issues and to take stock of the progression of thought and action in urban issues. Award-winning filmmaker Donald McWilliams assembled t he film Reflections: Habitat 76 (from the National Film Board) from the archives of the first Habitat Conference in Vancouver. This feature was presented at the breakfast for a lumni from the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm 1972, Habitat I in Vancouver 1976, and Habitat II in Istanbul 1996.

The WUF3 Closing Ceremony celebrated the achievements of the conference and looked to the future. The Report from the Representative for the Chair of WUF3 was presented and accepted, and various civil society groups commented on their forward planning as a result of the outcomes of the Forum. Nanjing, China was introduced as the next host city for World Urban Forum 4 in 2008. WUF3 closed with a truly unique, Canadian theatrical event: the Cirque Fantastique. Performers impressed WUF3 participants with their acrobatic feats, strength, and elegance choreographed in a performance exclusive to the Forum. View the Quicktime Video or the Windows Media Video

One of the successes of WUF3 was the variety of cultural and other related events that took place in Vancouver during the Forum, but not as part of its official program. These side events included the Mathare Youth Sport Association's photo exhibit and book launch, Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver building a home outside of the conference facility to demonstrate Operation Home Delivery, which helped those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and many other presentations, videos, and receptions.

Stakeholder groups such as the Greater Vancouver Regional District, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Simon Fraser University, and Canada Green Building Council organized tours around Vancouver to locations that illustrated real life sustainable development. These included a walking tour of Granville Island, a bicycle tour of the University of British Columbia, and tours of urban agriculture projects. Providing participants with the opportunity to leave the confines of the conference centre and to see Ideas to Action in practice, these tours inspired delegates to bring innovation ideas home.

Beyond these side events were also a number of other related activities that took place during the month of June in Vancouver, highlighting urban issues and the WUF3 agenda. These satellite events included the World Youth Forum, Super Saturday, the World Planners Congress, the Women's International Academy, and the Earth Festival. The organ-izers of these events wanted to build on the momentum and energy of the Third Session of the World Urban Forum to develop complementary elements and synergies. The theme of the World Planners Congress, for example, was “Sustainable Urbanization: Turning Ideas into Action.” Ideas from the Congress were reported and discussed at WUF3 as the President of the Canadian Planners Institute chaired the dialogue session on Urban Growth and Environment.

WUF3 sparked enormous interest from the media, not only in the event itself but in urban issues in general. Over 300 accredited media brought much needed attention to the issues of urbanization and the future of cities.

The radio, newspaper, and television pieces served to bring urban issues to the forefront of the public's mind. Below are just some examples of the media interest in the subject:

• On Monday, June 12, there was a special information supplement in The Globe and Mail. In addition to information on the World Urban Forum, the supplement also highlighted some of the exciting projects that Canadians are taking part in domestically and internationally.
  
  
• The Canada Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) cityspace offered extensive coverage of WUF3 and stories of cities in Canada and abroad. It produced radio and video segments on issues such as garbage, high-density living, urban agriculture, and much more.
  
  
• The British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) Urban Planet website provided visitors with a place to read stories on urban issues, view BBC documentaries on urban growth, have their say on whether cities are growing too fast, learn about topics such as Hong Kong high-density growth, and hear the opinions of experts on the state of the world in 50 years.
  
  
• The Vancouver Sun's 15 Days to Save the World featured articles on events in Vancouver in June 2006 such as the World Urban Forum and the World Peace Forum.
  
  
• Front page stories and major spreads on cities and urbanization were featured in all major Canadian newspapers, the Financial Times, the London Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais, Newsweek, and others.
  
  
• Press agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France Press, and the Pan African News Agency carried stories about WUF3.
  
  
• Media from developing countries around the world also carried stories about the World Urban Forum. The Hindu, the Times of India, the Nation in Kenya, and the Citizen in Tanzania all published articles about WUF.

Back to Page 1 | Back to Top