Indy Dreams and Urban Nightmares : Speed Merchants, Spectacle, and the Struggle over Public Space in the World Class City

What role do sporting spectacles play in the making of a 'world-class' city?Indy Dreams and Urban Nightmares reports on the conflict that arose between a Vancouver community and the civic boosters who wanted to move the Molson Indy Vancouver motorsport event to their neighbourhood park. Arguing that such events are simply a matter of economic and cultural 'common sense', the civic boosters promoted the Indy spectacle as a means of gaining 'world-class' status for the city.

Against this background, Lowes explores the complex relations among major league sport, urban landscape, and civic identity. He argues that the capacity to articulate a city's 'vision' for itself is an important manifestation of power and ideology, and a notable point of struggle in contemporary urban life. This encompasses much larger issues related to the struggle over urban public space and the legitimacy of a particular narrative of urban growth and civic identity - one that increasingly privileges the consumer over the citizen. Provocative and engaging, this study examines the impact of major sports events on urban centres, and shows how urban public culture is defined and shaped by competition for the right to conceptualize, control, and experience a city's public spaces.

Lowes (not identified) reports his study of how a Vancouver, BC community mobilized opposition and prevented the Molson Indy motorsport event from relocating to its neighborhood park. Part of his story is how civil boosters considered the event necessary to gain world-class status for the city, which he describes as turning a once- living urban organism into a theme park for visitors. Another part is the increasing role major league spectator sports are playing in the economic and cultural growth strategies of North American cities. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

General

ISBN		9780802036728
Fiction/Non-Fiction		Non-Fiction
Publisher		Univ of Toronto Pr
Pages		148
List Price		$56.00
Author		Lowes, Mark Douglas
Publication Date		05/01/2002
Release Status		In Print
Format		Hardcover
Language		English
Measurements		Height: 9 Inches (US) Width: 6 Inches (US) Thickness: 0.75 Inches (US) Unit Weight: 0.85 Pounds (US)