Events in the City ─ Using Public Spaces As Event Venues

Cities are staging more events than ever. Within this macro-trend, there is another less acknowledged trend: more events are being staged in public spaces. Some events have always been staged in parks, streets and squares, but in recent years organisers have tried to bring events out of traditional venues and into prominent urban spaces. This is favoured by organisers seeking more memorable and more spectacular events, but also by authorities who want to animate urban space and make it more visible.

This book will explore, account for and illustrate these trends. Most importantly, it will outline their implications. Whilst most accounts of events assume they play a positive role in our cities, the use of public spaces for events is controversial. Events can denigrate as well as animate public space. They can be seen as part of the commercialisation, privatisation and (over)regulation of public space noted by commentators in recent years. This innovative text offers significant insight into some of the key reasons why cities are staging more events in public spaces (the need to generate funds and market cities), what problems this causes (exclusion, commercialisation, disruption) and how effective management and regulation can help to secure more optimal outcomes for citizens.

This topical and timely volume is valuable reading for higher level students, researchers and academics from Events, Urban Studies and Development studies.

Andrew Smith is a Reader in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster. Andrew is an urban geographer who specialises in tourism and events research. His first book Events and Urban Regeneration was published by Routledge in 2012.