World's Fairs: Vehicles For Urban Improvement

World expos or world’s fairs are efficient agents of urban renewal and have certain advantages over other popular catalysts for redevelopment, growth, and tourism, such as sports venues and urban entertainment centers. Their most important selling point is that expos are a proven vehicle for implementing major, permanent urban improvements rapidly. In a dramatically short period of time, they can generate significant revenues, attract money for capital improvements that otherwise would not be available, and effect lasting change that otherwise would not be possible. The United States has not hosted an expo since the Louisiana World Expo of 1984, which, although a financial failure, produced tangible benefits for host city New Orleans. But there are better ways to proceed.Note: The full text of this article may only be available to ULI members.

Thanks to Urban Land Magazine