The latest SITES certified project can be found in the Chongming district of Shanghai. On May 21, the China Flower Expo 2021, put together by the Shanghai Expo Group, kicked off on Chongming Island through July 2.  For their tremendous efforts, they were awarded a 2021 USGBC regional Leadership Award. 

The China Flower Expo is a creative flower celebration spread out along a main avenue, six pavilions, and six gardens. This event, which happens every four years, is known as the Chinese Flower Olympics.  

In 2019, they earned SITES Gold precertification — now certified — and used that framework to design, construct, and operate the 2021 expo with the goals of sustainable and low-carbon development, and an ecologically pioneering spirit to show exactly what China is capable of. They selected the SITES rating system to guide this monumental project knowing exactly how important sustainable, resilient landscaping would be. SITES also provides a unique lens in which to create landscapes that prioritize human health and well-being, a critical consideration during this difficult year.  

This project proves that even on such a grand scale, sustainability isn’t just aspirational, but achievable.