Background In the months of June and July of 2010 South Africa will host the FIFA 2010 Football World Cup. Thirty-two teams will arrive two to three weeks prior to the tournament and then, during a period of 43 days, an estimated 2.7 million local spectators will view 64 matches played in stadiums around the country. Assessed in terms of the number of global viewers, the World Cup is the world's largest sporting event. The success of 2010 depends on the effectiveness of the host cities in delivering the necessary infrastructure and services, and managing the event. The foremost legacy of 2010 will be to the cities, as well as enhanced worldwide credibility for South Africa and Africa. Additionally, the opportunity to celebrate a continent rich in culture and diversity becomes a possibility. In turn, 2010 provides host cities with the opportunity to fast track urban development, to improve their economic infrastructure, to promote economic development, and to present themselves on a global stage. It is certainly the case that the host cities talk of their 2010 'legacy', anticipating that the greater benefit of hosting 2010 matches will lie less in the event itself than in the long-term benefits of transport, sports and other infrastructure investment, and in the image created of the cities as a destination for tourists and investment. Are these benefits from 2010 likely to be realised by the cities, and how might the cities contribute to the success of 2010? Objectives The HSRC research project seeks to combine both academic and applied research - 'Social science that makes a difference'. The applied component seeks to contribute to city strategic and programme planning occurring at all levels of government, and involving a mix of stakeholders. The applied component is given effect through research, publications and through an annual poll of public attitudes to the World Cup. The academic component seeks to contribute to an understanding of mega events and urban development, both in respect of South Africa and internationally. The academic component is given effect through ad hoc collaboration with the Centre for Urban and Built Environment Studies (CUBES) of the University of the Witwatersrand, and through academic research conducted independently within the HSRC. Both the applied and the academic components will be further enhanced through collaboration with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Urban development: event and legacyFor the purposes of the research project, urban development is widely interpreted to include: South African and international comparative assessment of the impacts of mega-events on cities and the lessons learned. City development strategies and the 2010 legacy. Possibilities for urban regeneration. Possibilities for economic development. Host city ‘State of Readiness‘ reports. The manner in which 2010 is viewed by the public, and being presented by the media. The relationship of 2010 to the global 'city region' concept in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng.
Research project The four components to the HSRC 2010 research project are described below. They are not exhaustive and the HSRC is considering additional work and is in communication with organisations that it could potentially partner with. Annual longitudinal surveySince 2005 the HSRC has been undertaking an annual survey of 3 000 respondents, which provides benchmark indicators of public attitudes towards the 2010 World Cup. The HSRC will undertake an annual poll of public attitudes towards this international showpiece in order to conduct longitudinal analysis. This will allow changing attitudes to be analysed, providing policy-makers and practioners alike with decisive planning information in the run-up to the event. Collaboration with the Centre for Urban and Built Environment Studies of the University of the Witwatersrand (CUBES)The HSRC, CUBES, the Witwatersrand Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER), the Goethe Institute and FIFA SA staged a two-day international colloquium in September 2006 as part of an ongoing dialogue on the meaning of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The theme of the symposium was '2010 and the life of the city'. The symposium brought together a range of individuals interested in this topic, with the objective of better understanding mega-events and cities, and the role that they play in the economic, social, psychological, and environmental lives of residents and visitors, as well as the spatial repercussions of large sporting events in these cities. The HSRC's collaboration with CUBES and WISER is ongoing, with an annual 2010 colloquium anticipated. Research within the HSRCThe HSRC has, to date, commissioned research into: International comparative urban development experience and lessons of mega sporting events, focusing on FIFA World Cups Governance of 2010 Integration of planning for 2010 into the strategic planning framework of host cities Study of urban regeneration in Johannesburg The attempt by cities to use 2010 to create or enhance a specific image for the city The legacy dimensions of 2010. The relationship of 2010 to the global ‘city region‘ concept in SA , particularly in Gauteng
Most of the research will contribute to a book, to be published in 2008, that addresses the contribution of the host cities to the 2010 legacy, the urban development impacts of the mega-sporting events, the politics within cities concerning the 2010 bid, the history of South Africa's 2010 bid, the governance of the 2010 programme, strategic planning for 2010 legacy within cities, city imaging and the media, and the findings of the annual public attitudes survey. The HSRC is also committed to a book that will be published after the event, wherein its urban development impacts and likely legacy for cities are assessed. Additional engagementPublic engagement takes the form of a fortnightly Business Day column on 2010, numerous opinion pieces in newspapers, media interviews, and presentations at seminars, conferences and workshops. The HSRC has been invited by government, through its Communication Services (GCIS), to be core members of the 2010 National Communication Partnership. Research teamThe research project is being overseen by Dr Udesh Pillay, Executive Director of the Centre for Service Delivery (CSD) research programme. The research is being conducted within the Urban Change, City Strategies and Migration section of CSD. Dr Orli Bass, a post-Doctoral Research Fellow, is responsible for operationalising the research programme. It is envisaged that as the project gains momentum, a number of additional researchers from outside the HSRC will get involved. Capacity developmentThe 2010 project will train and mentor a number of young researchers in the process of completing master's and doctoral degrees.
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