Charter for Mega-events in Heritage-rich Cities is a set of recommendations for cities planning to organize large events in historic cities. It was created as part of the international research project HOMEE – Heritage Opportunities/threats within Mega-Events in Europe 2018-2021 and it is the result of extensive desk research, Living Lab workshops and a number of case studies. Its provisions were verified during validation workshops by experts and practitioners.
The charter contains rules and guidelines to enable cities to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the organization of mega-events, including the use of local heritage, while protecting it. It also deals with many topics and issues, ranging from a new way of using historic spaces, through overloading historical buildings resulting from the organization of mega-events on their premises, to changes in the way of understanding and perceiving heritage sites. The document also addresses the challenges that mega-events pose to local governments. The document is prepared for both decision makers and event organizers in historic cities.
The Charter contains thirteen guiding principles, grouped under four main themes: ‘Context Matters’, ‘Legacy Planning’, ‘Inclusive Governance’ and ‘Communities and Identities’. The chapter of the Charter entitled “Basic Concepts” contains short definitions of the most important terms appearing in the document. In turn, the section entitled “Snapshots” presents specific examples of the implementation of thirteen principles defined in the Charter. Examples of successful application of these principles and critical analysis of other cases provide guidance for decision makers and event organizers on good practice, the most pressing issues related to the organization of mega events.