VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities
Abstract
Cities and municipalities increasingly recognize the potential of events to boost social connection, intercultural exchange, learning, creativity, well-being, and overall quality of life. Yet, both programmatic planning and assessment of events’ social impact remain inconsistently embedded in local government practice. Moreover, existing evaluation frameworks often prioritize instrumental aspects of events, while affective and relational dimensions remain underexplored. Scholars and practitioners therefore call for multi-stakeholder, participatory, and practice-oriented approaches to evaluating social impact. We present findings from an ongoing research project on the social impact of urban events in Flanders (Belgium), examining 1) how social impact is currently understood and measured within local governments and 2) how insights into visitors’ and residents’ attitudes and experiences can inform impact evaluation and decision-making. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining expert interviews, interviews with city and municipal event coordinators, a large-scale survey and co-creative workshops with local government practitioners (conducted with the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities), as well as surveys and focus groups with residents and event visitors in two pilot cities. Preliminary results indicate that event evaluation practices within local governments are inconsistent and fragmented, often shaped by intuition, resource constraints, and limited opportunities for strategic planning and collective learning. Insufficient target group differentiation and limited access to data on residents/visitors further hinder systematic impact assessment. These results, combined with the insights from ongoing surveys and focus groups with residents and visitors, will contribute to a more systematic understanding of event impacts at the local level.
Yana Avramova holds PhDs in Social Psychology and Applied Economic Sciences. Her academic background lies at the intersection of marketing communication, social and cognitive psychology, and consumer behavior, with expertise in experimental and survey research methods. Her current research focuses on the social impact of events from the perspective of visitors, residents, and local governments. She is also involved in projects examining visitor experience, (perceived) safety, and inclusion in the context of nightlife, heritage, and other urban settings.
Sarah Maes is a researcher with dual doctoral training (PhD) in Social Work (University of Antwerp) and Religious Studies (KU Leuven). Her PhD, conducted within the Soligion project, examined religiously inspired solidarity initiatives in the Flemish welfare sector, focusing on their diversity, historical roots, and interactions with local welfare systems. She specialises in qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, ethnography, and focus groups, and in translating research findings into practical tools for policy and practice. Her research interests include diversity, social cohesion, civil society, and religion–welfare interactions.