This term paper is attending to the relative new appearance of the Urban Entertainment Center as a development of the entertainment market. Therefore the spatial and economical externalities of one of the stepchildren of the urban planning should be examined. To show the economic backgrounds the market developments will be described from the demand and support side. How do societal, technological and time changing factors or processes like concentration, globalisation and privatisation determine the development of the entertainment market? According to the changed demands, the market has produced constantly new forms of leisure time facilities. But only a certain number of types like musical theatres or leisure parks has a spatial importance because of its amount and size.
But the main focus keeps on Urban Entertainment Center as the new generation of those facilities. A short introduction into the history and the main appearances should help to define this almost inflationary used term. Emphasising the differences concerning the major components and the location the influence of UECs to processes like suburbanisation will be discussed. The core of this work is concentrating the externalities within the urban development in the fields of the city structure, local economy as well as traffic issues and how planners and politicians could handle the phenomenon of Urban Entertainment Center.
Table of Contents
1 Abstract
2 Introduction
3 Entertainment Market Changes
3.1 Determinants of the Leisure Behaviour
3.2 Market Determinants
4 Types of Leisure Time Facilities
5 Urban Entertainment Center
5.1 Historical Development and present Appearances
5.2 Types of Urban Entertainment Center
5.3 Externalities
5.4 Planning Opportunities
6 Conclusion
7 Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the rise of the Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) as a new development in the leisure industry, focusing on the spatial and economic externalities these facilities impose on urban structures and local markets. The primary goal is to analyze how planners and politicians can address the challenges and potential opportunities posed by these large-scale entertainment developments within the urban context.
- Economic and societal drivers behind the entertainment market transformation.
- Categorization and defining characteristics of various leisure time facilities.
- Spatial and economic impact of UECs on inner-city versus suburban development.
- Strategies for municipal planning and urban integration of large-scale entertainment projects.
- The role of UECs in suburbanization and their influence on local retail trade.
Excerpt from the Book
Urban Structure
For most critics Urban Entertainment Center constitute a source of problems because of their weak ability to integrate into the urban context even when they are located in inner city areas. Simply spoken the pure scale is problematic. The partly huge sizes concerning the investment volumes, number of offers and not to leave the physical appearances. In this way UECs become like small artificial cities within the city. It is not necessary for the working of those centres to consider the neighbourhood instead it is much more important that they are oriented to their inside, to the consumer. Therefore UECs are often delimited to the surrounding. At least they do not refer to the city context.
But especially when UECs are established somewhere out of the city frontiers the former vital city centres become desolate. After the drifting out of the housing and later the retail trade function to the suburban areas, the moving out of the leisure function as a third wave of suburbanisation means finally the lost of urbanity in the sense of urban variety. Together the formation and concentration of functions in suburban areas are developing to new structures there like edge cities and so on.
Summary of Chapters
1 Abstract: Provides an overview of the paper's focus on the economic and spatial externalities of Urban Entertainment Centers as a development in the leisure market.
2 Introduction: Discusses the emerging phenomenon of concentration in the leisure industry and sets the stage for examining the impacts on urban planning and infrastructure.
3 Entertainment Market Changes: Analyzes the determinants of leisure behavior and market factors like globalization, privatization, and technological advances driving the entertainment sector.
4 Types of Leisure Time Facilities: Categorizes various facilities, including musical theaters, multiplex cinemas, theme gastronomy, indoor sports, and theme parks.
5 Urban Entertainment Center: Investigates the historical context, classification, spatial externalities, and planning opportunities related to UECs.
6 Conclusion: Synthesizes the need for a balanced planning approach by municipalities to canalize the UEC trend toward positive urban development.
7 Bibliography: Lists the academic and industry sources used for the analysis of the urban entertainment sector.
Keywords
Urban Entertainment Center, UEC, Urban Development, Leisure Industry, Market Determinants, Spatial Externalities, Urban Planning, Suburbanization, Retail Trade, Infotainment, Public-Private Partnership, Infrastructure, Sustainability, Municipal Policy, Globalization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper examines the emergence of Urban Entertainment Centers (UECs) and their role as a significant, yet challenging, development in modern urban planning and the global entertainment industry.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the work?
The core themes include the changing dynamics of the leisure market, the economic drivers of entertainment facilities, and the resulting physical and social impacts on urban structure, traffic, and local retail economies.
What is the primary research goal of the paper?
The goal is to determine how municipal authorities can effectively navigate the presence of UECs, balancing the potential for economic development against the risk of negative externalities like urban desolation and increased traffic.
Which scientific methods or approaches are utilized?
The author employs a descriptive and analytical approach, combining economic data, urban planning theories, and case studies (such as Berlin's Potsdamer Platz and CentrO in Oberhausen) to assess the impact of large-scale entertainment facilities.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body details the evolution of leisure behavior, defines various types of facilities, and provides a critical assessment of the externalities (physical, economic, and traffic-related) that arise when UECs are integrated into or placed outside of city structures.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Urban Entertainment Center, urban development, leisure industry, spatial externalities, municipal planning, and suburbanization.
How does the author define the difference between the inner-city and suburban locations of UECs?
Inner-city locations benefit from existing infrastructure and synergy with other urban functions, while suburban locations are driven by lower land prices and accessibility by car, though often at the expense of urban integration.
What specific risks does the author identify regarding the sustainability of UECs?
The author highlights the risk of "leisure ruins"—facilities that lose popularity and, due to their highly specific architecture, become difficult to reuse—as well as the negative impacts of increased individual car traffic on the environment.
- Quote paper
- Ingo Zasada (Author), 2001, Urban Entertainment Centers - Difficulties and chances for urban development, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/50803
