"Better City, Better Life" was the theme of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. At the largest world exhibition to date, there were pavilions from selected cities for the first time in addition to the country pavilions. In the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA), where Zurich was also a guest, around fifty cities presented innovative solutions that have successfully mastered the challenges of an increasingly globalized world.

Under the motto "Better Water – Best Urban Life", the cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich focused on the connection between clean water and quality of life. On the basis of three case studies, the pavilion showed possibilities for the revitalization of once polluted waters of water.

With their presence at the World Exhibition, the three Swiss cities were able to present themselves on the international stage as attractive, environmentally conscious locations and encourage sustainable urban development. The Expo counted over 70 million visitors from all over the world during half a year. Around 2.3 million of them visited the Swiss City Pavilion.