Festivalization and historic building adaptation in the Merchant City, Glasgow

Holding festivals to attract investment, tourism, and attention has become a typical strategy used by city authorities for marketing and rebranding the urban image in recent decades. This strategy has contributed to the development of concepts such as 'festivalization' and 'the eventful city.' Glasgow's regeneration in the 1980s is renowned for hosting significant events, serving as a notable example that inspired other cities, such as Stockholm in 1998, to adopt similar strategies. Glasgow became a benchmark for illustrating how culture and events can provide economic benefits. While existing studies primarily examine this urban strategy through economic, human behaviour, and geopolitical lenses, comparatively little attention has been given to the impact of place-making projects, particularly in the historic city center, where the efforts in historic environmental renovation and the adaptation of built heritage are essential to the success of festivalization. An analysis of conservation planning in the Merchant City provides insights into the relationship between festivalization and the adaptation of urban-built heritage. The exploration of several place-making projects from the 1980s illustrates that the festivalization strategy is embedded in conservation-related planning. A detailed examination of the Merchant Square case further demonstrates how the adaptation process aligns with the core objectives of the festivalization strategy, which reconceptualizes space. In other words, the intervention methods applied to historic buildings in Merchant City both spatially and strategically underpin festivalization.