Podcast blurb: Urban regeneration is something the directly impacts the everyday lives of people living in areas going through change and development. Regeneration is intended for lasting improvement, and this directs much attention to economic impacts and the desire to promote new opportunities to attract visitors to an area. However, we must pay attention to the livelihoods of residents who are impacted by these changes. Events play an important role in much of this transformation because events are an important catalyst to promote city image and leverage future opportunities. Critically, we should consider how inclusive these spaces are, or if they are ‘islands’ of development.

Nick’s bio: Nicholas Wise earned a PhD in Human Geography from Kent State University, and is currently with the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. His research focuses on placemaking, competitiveness, social regeneration and community impacts, conducting work across the areas of sport, events and tourism. He brings an international perspective to his teaching informed by scholarly research focusing on the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Serbia and Italy. He has published across several disciplines and collaborates with colleagues across a number of academic disciplines. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE).

Further reading and resources:

• Cowan, A. (2016). A Nice Place to Visit: Tourism and Urban Revitalization in the Postwar Rustbelt (Urban Life, Landscape and Policy). Temple University Press.

• Smith, A. (2012). Events and Urban Regeneration: The Strategic Use of Events to Revitalise Cities. Routledge.

• Spirou, C. (2011). Urban Tourism and Urban Change: Cities in a Global Economy, Routledge.

• Tallon, A. (2021). Urban Regeneration in the UK, 3rd Edition. Routledge

• Wise, N. & Harris, J. (eds) (2017). Sport, Events, Tourism and Regeneration. Routledge.

• Wise, N. & Harris, J. (eds) (2019). Events, Places and Societies. Routledge.