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This paper aims to seek a greater understanding of the conceptualization of mega-event flagship (MEF) development as a point of departure to forge the much-needed organizational capacities in these regions. An MEF constitutes a temporarily themed venue for a mega-event and a transforming force on corresponding urban renewal. The unfailing demand for MEFs from emerging hosts after historical failures in the West draws attention to a glaring weakness of extant literature in wanting of evidence-based case studies.

Due to the explorative nature of research and the context-dependent complexities, the case study method is used for studying the case of Theme Pavilion – one of the four key flagships led by Expo 2010 to catalyze an ambitious urban renewal in Shanghai, China. The focus is on its conceptualization process (2004-2007) where different copying strategies were tested and consolidated to facilitate the post-event transformation. Data were collected mainly through participant observation in that duration.

For future Expo hosts, exhibition center developers and the event industry, the study concludes with eight constructive lessons, namely, clustering strategy, different integration, pre-post orientation, diversification for adaptation, development by stage, flexible mindset, the end crowns the work and building local capacity.

Given the qualitative nature of the study, some results may not be fully generalizable. While showing the possibility of sustaining MEF development given the right coping strategy, it also reveals implementation difficulties and emphasizes the importance of continued case studies.

The study will contribute fresh insights into forging better strategies to cope with transformation difficulties of MEF development and building greater capacity to accomplish affiliated renewals and other significantly comparable urban projects in emerging economies.

Over decades, mega‐events have enjoyed increasing global popularity as catalysts of significant urban renewal both on and beyond the event grounds. Nevertheless, although some mega‐events are exemplary in their transformation of some places, post‐event failure of others highlight a lack of long‐range planning. Yet, such a paradoxical relationship between spectacularity and sustainability has, so far, received little in‐depth analysis. Building upon the Yin‐Yang theory, the purpose of this paper is to identify the Triple‐C gap and argues that planning for mega‐event led renewals (MELRs) is an issue of dualism rather than dichotomy.

This paper adopts the multiple‐case study approach. Two methodological steps are taken to seek a greater understanding of the issue at global and local scales. One is a review of eight mega‐event cases in the West to identify post‐event sustainability challenges. The other explores these challenges through an examination of the Expo 2010 development as a chapter of the Huangpu Riverfronts Renewal in Shanghai China.

The eight historical cases and Expo 2010 unanimously challenge the dichotomy between event staging and post‐event sustainability. It is therefore high time for future client organizations to rethink how to find a convergence.

With lessons drawn, the article concludes that planning an MELR should be pre‐post oriented and serve as a catalyst for broader‐scale improvements.

This pioneering study constitutes a much‐needed reference for future mega‐event hosts to rethink their commitment to MELDs, which will hopefully spark more interdisciplinary interest.

A mega‐event flagship (MEF) refers to a purpose‐built building flagship for a global mega‐event and a popular instrument to catalyze urban renewal in the host city. Despite their lasting popularity and volatile outcomes, such highly controversial developments have received little analysis. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the research.

To bridge the Triple‐C Gap identified, a case study method was adopted in the form of participant observation, due to the author's special role as a key project coordinator of Expo 2010. To provide a good reference for comparable developments, it takes three steps to study the Expo Center (EC) – one of the four MEFs of Expo 2010. First, planning rationales are explained to form a holistic understanding of the Big 4 as an integrated whole. Then, a pilot questionnaire survey is reported to identify pressing issues on a broader scale. Finally, the early stages of the EC are investigated in six dimensions.

The study concludes with significant lessons in shaping the early stage of a MEF, as well as correcting a misunderstanding of such a development being an end in itself.

Certain constraints in participant observation have been minimized since the author maintained a relatively independent role as a process facilitator, which is different from the traditional role of a design manager or a project manager.

A timely reminder to rethink the commitment to MEFs, this explorative study offers new insights into MEF research and will be of cross‐boundary value to a wide spectrum of people and agencies.

A mega‐event flagship (MEF) refers to a popular instrument developed for staging a mega‐event and catalyzing area‐based urban regeneration. Despite its lasting appeal and controversial nature, insufficient research on its critical early stage has been done to provide useful analysis. When the clients lack appropriate capabilities to confront sustainability challenges, MEFs may end up functioning poorly in the post‐event era and even hindering the progress of intended renewals. The purpose of this study is to enhance MEF clients’ capabilities in meeting sustainability challenges at the early stage and ultimately producing responsible MEFs of enduring worth.

The multiple‐case study method was adopted due to its widely recognized reliance on multiple sources to facilitate in‐depth analyses. Data were collected through archival records, documentation, direct observation and participant observation.

By proposing a comprehensive development framework based on the findings of multiple‐case studies, this paper corrects a misunderstanding of such a development being an end in itself, and contributes new insights into the definitional early stage of MEFs.

The fact that MEFs are a global phenomenon as well as a local undertaking leads to a need to develop a database of useful lessons and critical decisions from previous MEFs, to establish a best practice targets system in future research.

As an initial attempt, this paper lays the groundwork for research on MEFs by investigating how mega‐event hosts have prepared in meeting its sustainability challenges.

With the dramatic transformation of China’s industrial landscape, since the late 1990s, adaptive reuse of industrial heritage for cultural purposes has become a widely occurring phenomenon in major Chinese cities. The existing literature mainly focusses on specific cases, yet sees heritage conservation similarly at both national and regional scale and rarely identifies the main factors behind the production of China’s industrial-heritage reuse. The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in heritage reuse outcomes among three Chinese mega-cities and explore the driving factors influencing the differences.

This paper compares selected industrial-heritage cultural precincts in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and explores the local intervening factors influencing differences in their reuse patterns, including the history of industrial development, the availability of the nineteenth and/or twentieth century industrial buildings, the existence of cultural capital and the prevalence of supportive regional government policy.

The industrial-heritage reuse in the three cities is highly regional. In Beijing, the adaptation of industrial heritage has resulted from the activities of large-scale artist communities and the local government’s promotion of the city’s cultural influence; while in Shanghai, successful and more commercially oriented “sea culture” artists, private developers in creative industries and the “creative industry cluster” policy make important contributions. Chongqing in contrast, is still at the early stage of heritage conservation, as demonstrated by its adaptive reuse outcomes. Considering its less-developed local cultural economy, Chongqing needs to adopt a broader range of development strategies.

The paper contributes to knowledge by revealing that the production of industrial-heritage cultural precincts in Chinese mega-cities is influenced by regional level factors, including the types of industrial heritage, the spontaneous participation of artist communities and the encouragement of cultural policy.

Expo 2020 is scheduled to open on October 20, 2020, and will be the largest mega-event to-date in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, drawing in up to 300,000 visitors a day, half of them from abroad, in its six months of operation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview on how the story has evolved in terms of preparation for the event since Dubai won the bid to host Expo 2020 in 2013.

Content analysis of the existing literature was undertaken and industry white papers and government portals were consulted to assimilate knowledge sources and to formulate an informed opinion about the impact of Expo 2020 on Dubai.

The backdrop to Expo 2020 is outlined, followed by an overview of events with the support of literature. The pre-event buildup in terms of policies and infrastructure is assessed and an impact analysis is performed based on the framework of the triple bottom line model. The framework is used to explore post-event challenges, and the steps that will need to be taken by stakeholders and policymakers are also discussed.

There is a dearth of academic literature on Dubai as a destination. This paper brings into focus the importance of Expo 2020 to Dubai's sustainable development and, thus, addresses a critical gap in literature.

The purpose of this paper is to study the realization of turn‐over‐wok movement for a cooking robot.

First, the authors introduce the cooking robot's movement mechanism and its realization methods and then analyze the movement geometric of the movement mechanism. The authors conduct the force analysis of the material in the wok motion and suppose the moving situation of mass point m when turning over the wok and shaking the wok.

The problem of the cooking robot simulating the special cooking motion made by a chef is solved.

The robot is applicable to being a cooking robot for Chinese dishes.

The paper shows how to optimize the effect of material moving track and satisfies the requirements of wok motion of cooking robot.

Current construction management programmes in higher education institutions provide students with sound technical and management knowledge. However, in the twenty‐first century, construction professionals need to be familiar with the cultural, environmental, and political factors that could affect international projects and know how to work effectively in the global arena. How to face the unique challenges due to rapidly increasing globalisation is the question that concerns construction educators around the world. However, current construction management curricula do not usually provide students with even basic training on international project management. To remedy this defect, globalisation components have been incorporated into construction management education at East Carolina University through lecture exchange, study abroad, student exchange, scholar exchange, and research exchange activities. This paper presents the international activities performed, the outcomes, and student growth in international construction management.

In recent years, China has accelerated the modernization and renovation of the sports facilities, which greatly promoted the development of sports in China. However, adaptability and renovation experience in our country is lacking, moreover, the reconstruction of the stadium has certain blindness. In this study, the adaptability of the external and internal spaces of the stadium were analyzed and studied separately. The external transformation transformed the stadium into an open space to be combined with the surrounding environment. The internal transformation mainly expands and functions richly. The stadium can enhance the level of competition and the opening of the transformation through the case study of the adaptability of the Z stadium.