European Port Cities and Urban Regeneration

This book examines the underexplored mutual links between, on the one hand, urban and socio-economic regeneration driven by cultural and sporting mega events and, on the other hand, the spatial, political and symbolic ties between cities and their ports.

Enrico Tommarchi is Lecturer in Town Planning at London South Bank University. He took part in the JPICH-funded project HOMEE (Heritage Opportunities/threats within Mega-Events in Europe) and in the evaluation of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, undertaken by the Culture, Place and Policy Institute (CPPI) of the University of Hull, where he completed his PhD. His research focuses on culture- and event-led regeneration and port-city relationships. He is a spatial planner by training (IUAV University of Venice) and he is interested in the geographies of port and coastal cities, the socio-spatial and symbolic outcomes of mega events, culture-led urban regeneration.

1. Introduction: exploring port cities of culture 2. Bridging port-city relationships, urban regeneration and mega events 3. Waterfront redevelopment and the rationale for hosting mega events 4. Port cities and event-led regeneration in ontologically insecure times 5. The spatiality of event-led regeneration at the port-city interface 6. The politics of event-led regeneration in port cities 7. Event-led regeneration and symbolic port-city links 8. Conclusions. A forward look at port cities of culture and events