ABSTRACT
It is important to provide a theoretical and a historical foundation for event regeneration before specific examples are examined. In this chapter, key theoretical ideas and critical perspectives are discussed. There are a number of critical ideas that can help us to understand the way major events are linked to urban regeneration. Event regeneration can be viewed in conjunction with wider cultural movements, in particular the unfinished ‘project’ of modernity and dominant political philosophies. More specific theories regarding the production of – and formalisation of – time and space are useful lenses through which to explore event regeneration. Making connections to these ideas helps to understand event regeneration at a deeper level. It helps us to explore why event projects are pursued, the processes that underpin them, why they may work and why certain commentators are suspicious of them.
