Revisiting the spatial relationships between mega-events and host cities

Mega-events have long been differentiated primarily on the nature of their contents (sport vs. cultural) or evaluated based on their size (mega vs. hallmark vs. iconic). Yet the physical and spatial connections (or disconnections) between mega-events and the cities that host them can be an even greater determining factor of the eventual outcomes. The different adaptations of the spatial relationship between mega-events and their host cities affect a vast array of issues, from overall costs and new infrastructural developments to their social and cultural impacts and the legacies they leave behind. This relationship has evolved over time and can fluctuate between different types of mega-events. While various trends were previously visible, the COVID-19 global pandemic has forced a revaluation of whether to host, as well as how to host, mega-events. This presents an ideal moment to revisit the role of these spatial relationships and how they are continuing to evolve and expand. The chapter explores the five spatial relationships of diffused spread, urban nodes, anchored platform, satellite platform and constellation spread. These are illustrated through a set of examples from varying types of mega-events, from historic precedents to the most recent and upcoming editions. The effects of the pandemic on these events, as well as proposed plans for the upcoming ones, provide a lens through which one can reflect on the importance of these spatial relationships and the need for new, expanded conceptualizations.