Events and urban space: a challenging relationship?

<br/>Purpose<br/>This paper aims to consider the relationship between urban events and urban public space, asking whether cities have enough space for events and whether events have enough space in cities.<br/><br/>Design/methodology/approach<br/>Policy analysis surrounding events and festivals in the Netherlands is used to understand the dynamics of urban events, supported by content analysis of policy documents. A vignette of event space struggles in Amsterdam illustrates the contradictions of the event/space relationship.<br/><br/>Findings<br/>The research identifies a policy shift in the Netherlands towards urban events from expansive, festivalisation strategies to defensive, NIMBYist policies. It exposes contradictions between protecting space as a living resource and the exploitation of space for regenerative purposes. Three future scenarios for urban events are outlined: conflict and competition, growth and harmony and digitalisation and virtualisation.<br/><br/>Practical implications<br/>Develops scenarios for the future relationship between events and urban space.<br/><br/>Originality/value<br/>Provides an analysis of the recursive spatial implications of the growth of the events sector for cities and the growth of cities for events.<br/>