Call for papers: Sport and the City

The School of Architecture and Planning, at the University of the Witwatersrand, together with our partners, the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) and the Johannesburg Development Agency are pleased to announce the "Sport and the City: Impacts and effects of Mega-Events on Urban Development" conference to be held at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, between April 3rd and 4th, 2012.

Sporting mega-events are an increasing urban phenomenon, from the FIFA World Cup, to the Summer and Winter Olympics, governments compete to host them with the promise that they will provide benefits to the precincts, cities, and countries in which they take place. Enormous amounts of money are spent on infrastructure development and other improvements in different areas of the city. However more work needs to be completed to analyse the major impacts and effects of these events on a range of stakeholders, urban dwellers and activities.

This conference seeks to focus on cities post the actual event and to engage with the full range of impacts that mega sporting-events have on cities: from the physical re-structuring, budgetary implications to the changes that they may make to the daily lives of residents. Furthermore the conference will focus on the lessons (good and bad) that have been learnt from cities and municipalities undertaking these events.

The conference encourages the submission of papers or exhibitions and visual material (not posters) on a full range of topics and from any discipline, trans-discipline or cross-disciplinary angle or framing:

• How have mega-events changed perceptions?
  • Branding, re-branding
  • National and international perceptions
  • Nation building
  • Global City regions/World Class Cities
• What have been the effects or impacts of the spatial restructuring that were associated with these events?
  • Infrastructure and transport
  • Safety and security
  • Precinct development/redevelopment/
  • Urban regeneration and property markets
  • Stadia and public viewing areas
  • Economic activities and land use
  • Housing and relocation
• What has been the effect on relationships and partnerships?
  • Governance/participation and public engagement
  • Daily life
  • State/society engagements

Abstract

Abstracts for papers should be of approximately 300 words in length, with keywords, and should also include:

• a title
• the name, status and affiliation of the speaker(s)
• a contact email address
• the research question and chosen methodology and the text(s)/data and main arguments that will be discussed.

All conference rooms have a computer, data projector, and screen. Please also let us know if you require any special equipment.

Conference Presentations

The sessions will take a discussion format rather than presentations followed by questions and answer. It is intended that all papers will be circulated prior to the conference. Each session will be focused on a specific theme and will begin with summary and responses by discussant, followed by author responses, followed by general discussion.

All papers that are submitted will be considered for publication.

Deadlines

The following deadlines apply: