A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development of the 21st Century

Mega-events as Catalysts for Urban TransformationInvestment in a mega-event is an investment for the public good and that is how the eventshould be conceived and managed. Although international oversight bodies play a key role inensuring this aspect, the host city and all of its partners are the most responsible to this end.The first World Expo was held in London in 1851 and the first Summer Olympic Games ofthe modern era were held in Athens in 1896. Since then, cities and governments around theworld have continued to see great value in hosting them.Although each event is a novel experience in a novel context, urban leaders can rely on anumber of best practices that have proven to support the success of the event which they wishto host.Best practice 1: Develop clarity on the goals and objectives for your city based on itsoverall resources and identity.This is a fundamental step which will help the city determine which outcomes it expects fromthe mega-event. It cannot be the other way around, i.e. a mega-event does not set the goal forthe city. It is the city that, by setting its goals, will be able to identify which mega-event willbe more suited to support their pursuit.Best practice 2: Choose the right eventAs described above, there are a variety of mega and large events that cities can choose from.Here we have not given a full description, but we have illustrated the main ones with anumber of criteria that differentiate them.Best practice 3: Ensure local consensusNo mega-event can be successfully organized without the active engagement of the citizens.If the event is indeed successful, citizens will be the first and ultimate beneficiaries in terms ofa better living environment, higher quality services, a healthier and more interesting city tolive in. However, they must be part of the preparation, as host cities rely heavily on thecontribution of local volunteers. Success starts with the residents.Best practice 4: Integrate the event into the long-term urban development strategyAs we have seen in the case study above, many of the effects of an Expo will be felt a longtime after the event is over. At the same time, the purpose of these events is to accelerate andimplement urban transformation. Thus, city administrators have to establish both tangible andintangible benefits that the city needs for the long term. Indeed, from a mega-eventperspective, the concept of legacy is almost misleading. In other words, the legacy must be anessential part of the strategy for the city and its outcomes will only be as good as the clarity ofthe original objectives, which must encompass the overall roadmap for city and regionaldevelopment.34