Public Spaces and Events

Abstract

This review identifies research articles published in Event Management that discuss the use of public spaces for events. Events and festivals utilize public spaces, which are specific geographic locations in cities. These public spaces transform into places when imbued with meaning through experiences related to events and festivals. This review reveals that uniqueness, emotions, and co-creation through social interaction are important in facilitating events and festivals, although there is also the danger of becoming exclusive, commercialized, commodified, and privatized. Considering the dearth of studies looking at public spaces, future studies may delve into analyzing public space utilization during events and festivals, aiming to unveil spatial trends pertinent to both a city's overarching urban policies and its tailored event (and tourism) strategies.