Urban development, city planning, and hosting major events: the cases of Birmingham and Guangzhou

This paper examines the influence of major events on urban development and change across two city contexts (i.e., Guangzhou and Birmingham). Considering cities as new international actors, a theoretical modal was proposed, and qualitative evidence was gathered to examine the cities’ decision to bid for the hosting of the 2010 Asian Games and the 2022 Commonwealth Games respectively, the urban development–related pressures faced, and the ways in which urban development occurred as a result of event production. In response to intercity competition and globalisation, both cities fought for development opportunities and actively sought international and national attention through major events. However, urban governance becomes complicated, in terms of managing city–market–society relations; as such, particularly for Guangzhou, it led the city government to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to urban governance. This study suggests future research interrogating whether major events provide a sustainable means to achieve urban development.