Mega-events in Heritage-rich Cities: The HOMEE Research Project

In the past, many cities used mega-events to support their investment plans, develop tourism, or improve their competitiveness. Until recently, the focus was put primarily on creating new infrastructure for sports or culture where such events could take place. Recently, some organisers of mega-events, including the Olympics, have come to prefer using already existing facilities, revitalising them or adapting them for new purposes. For historic and heritage-rich cities this change (triggered both by cuts in city budgets as well as by a slower pace of urban expansion) represents an opportunity for development but also poses a threat to their cultural heritage that until now have been little studied. This presentation concentrates on the ongoing HOMEE Research Project, that is a three-year European research project funded by the JIPCH 2017 Heritage in Changing Environments Joint Call. It studies the relationship between mega-events and cultural heritage protection policy, as well as the impact of mega-events on heritage-rich cities. The objectives of the project are being achieved through a broad literature review and analyses of the case studies of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) programs of Genoa 2004, Wrocław 2016, Pafos 2017, Matera 2019 as well as the Milan Expo 2015 and Hull 2017 UK City of Culture. These will serve as a basis for developing the policy guidelines offering innovative recommendations and planning tools, promoting a more sensitive approach to heritage in organising initiatives and cultural mega-events.