About the project

For historic heritage-rich cities this change (that in the West is triggered both by cuts in city budgets as well as by a slower pace of urban expansion) represents an opportunity for development but also poses a threat to their cultural heritage. The HOMEE research project aims to better understand the relationship between mega-events and cultural heritage protection policy, as well as the impact of mega-events on heritage-rich cities in Europe.

The HOMEE project brought together leading research centres working in the fields of cultural heritage preservation and mega-event planning, in close contact with key institutions and policy officers who have already had or will have direct responsibility for planning and implementing mega-events in Europe. 

The project achieved its research objectives  through a broad literature review and analyses of case studies: Genoa (2004 ECoC), Milan (EXPO 2015), Wrocław (2016 ECoC), Hull (UK City of Culture 2017), Pafos (2017 ECoC) and Matera-Basilicata (2019 ECoC).

• Politecnico di Milano – Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Italy (coordinator)

• University of Hull –Culture, Place and Policy Institute, Great Britain

• Neapolis University Pafos – Department of Architecture, Land and Environmental Science, Cyprus

• The International Cultural Centre, Kraków, Poland

University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNeECC), European Network on Cultural Management and Policy (ENCATC), Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBAC), Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), National Heritage Board of Poland, Kaunas 2022 European Capital of Culture, Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation, University of Basilicata, Pafos District, Pafos 2017, Culture Zone Wrocław, City of Milan, Krakow Festival Office, Robert Palmer Consultants, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Cracow University of Economics.

Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the JPICH Heritage in Changing Environments program - support for scientific research on heritage cultural as part of the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage (JPICH).


  

• November 6-7, 2018 – Project launch meeting

• March 20 - April 17, 2019 – Cultural Mega-events and Urban Heritage: Threats and Opportunities for European Cities international seminar series

• June 24-26, 2019 – EuropaMatera: Capitali culturali in dialogo workshops

• September 19, 2019 – Early research findings presented during 5th Heritage Forum of Central Europe

• April, 3 2020 – Mega-events in Heritage-rich Cities online workshop

• April 21 - May 26, 2020 – Mega-events and the City: Reflections and Lessons from the Expo, Olympics and European Capital of Culture seminar series

• November 13, 2020 – Emerging challenges for mega-events in Heritage-rich Cities during the COVID-19 era workshop

• June 16, 2021 – The future of mega-events in historic cities. How to organise them using and safeguarding cultural heritage at the same time? HOMEE project resented at 6. Heritage Forum of Central Europe

• July 8, 2021 – "Mega-events in heritage-rich cities: From research to principles and policy recommendations" online conference and launch event of the Charter for Mega-Events in Heritage-Rich Cities presented at the project final conference
• - Mega-events in Heritage Cities seminar and the launch of the Polish version of the Charter for Mega-events in Heritage-rich Cities

Prof. Davide Ponzini (project coordinator) davide.ponzini [at] polimi.it