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The game is over, and the issue should be closed!

Cities are the crystallization of human civilization. The modern American philosopher Louis Mumford said, "A city is a special structure, dense and compact, dedicated to the transmission of the fruits of human civilization."

It is no coincidence that the word "civilization" in many Western texts derives from the Latin word "civitas", which means "city". The eclectic, all-encompassing, and constantly renewing characteristics of cities have promoted the perfection of human social order. In 1800, only 2% of the world's population lived in cities, by 1950 that number had risen rapidly to 29%, and by 2000 about half of the world's population had moved to cities.

According to the United Nations**, by 2010, 55 per cent of the world's population will live in cities. It is undeniable that with the rapid development of cities, people's urban life is increasingly facing a series of challenges: high-density urban living patterns inevitably lead to spatial conflicts, cultural frictions, resource shortages and environmental pollution.

If left unchecked, the disorderly sprawl of cities can exacerbate these problems, ultimately eroding the vitality of cities and affecting the quality of urban life. The Istanbul Declaration issued by UN-Habitat in 1996 stressed: "Our cities must be places where human beings can live a fulfilling life of dignity, health, safety, happiness and hope."

The origin of the various challenges faced by cities, whether they are congestion, pollution, crime or conflict, is rooted in the disharmony of the relationships between man and nature, between man and man, and between spirit and material in the process of urbanization. To this end, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will respond to the demand for "Better City, Better Life" with the concept of "Harmonious City". The concept of "harmony" is embedded in the ancient Chinese culture.

Chinese culture advocates the harmony of human beings, the harmony of nature and man, and the harmony of body and mind. At the same time, "harmony" is also seen in the ideals of Western sages. For hundreds of years, people's enthusiasm for the "harmonious city" model has never stopped.

From "utopia", to the "ideal city" in the 18th century, and then to the "pastoral city", a series of theories, propositions and models are all exploring how to establish the balance and harmony of the city in terms of space, order, spiritual life and material outlet. Since the 80s of the last century, with the increasingly serious environmental and development problems, the concept of sustainable development came into being. Most of the strategies put forward by cities to implement Agenda 21 revolve around how to rebuild harmony between people and cities, between people and nature, and ultimately between present and future generations.

It can be seen that the pursuit and practice of "harmonious life" and "harmonious city" runs through the development history of human society, and is increasingly reflected in the blueprint that people draw for tomorrow's cities. "Harmonious city" is mainly embodied in the harmonious coexistence of multiple cultures, the harmonious development of the economy, the harmonious life in the era of science and technology, the harmonious operation of community cells, and the harmonious interaction between the city and the countryside.