More Fair Cities: Utilizing World’s Fairs to Achieve Contemporary Planning and Policy Objectives

Abstract

This research seeks to determine if World’s Fairs, or International Expos, could be utilized by contemporary urban planners and policymakers to promote policy objectives and effectively address policy challenges in United States cities. The researcher uses a mixed-methods approach, primarily conducting a literature review while employing comparative elements of a case study to determine the effects Fairs have on their surrounding environment and the feasibility of employing them for lasting urban policy change. The work finds that Fairs could be uniquely beneficial to municipalities with certain needs, though they are not an especially generalizable or scalable policy intervention. This research comes as the U.S. federal government has reengaged with the international organization overseeing Expos and as the Twin Cities region in Minnesota is actively bidding to host an International Expo in 2027.