Big events: planning, mobility management

More and more frequent mega events, large events of all kinds - whether cultural, traditional, sporting, commercial, or political - generate high concentrations of traffic flows of both people and goods, and over significant space and time. They also result in specific problems of transport logistics and mobility management. Close partnership between all stakeholders involved in such events is critical - from the public authorities and utilities to public and private sector transport operators - in order to ensure that the event's organisation is efficient and well-adapted to its specific needs. These short-lived large events tend have well-defined programmes drawn up by international or national bodies acting as 'owners' (franchisors) of the specific events and delegating the actual organisation to an ad hoc local or regional committee (as franchisee). From the point of view of global transport strategy, large events require increasingly greater use of public transport for visitors, VIPs/special guests, volunteers and the numerous other people involved in all aspects of the organisation of large events. At the same time, road access and car parking in the vicinity of large events are generally not adequate to meet total traffic demand, and they usually have to be strictly controlled, with individual access limited to authorised staff and vehicles only. This study considers: the typological structure of the big events comprising the multiple parameters and discriminating variables; main functional and organisational interactions of these large events from their launch to their total or partial dismantling; the organisation of preliminary tests and the essential role of integrated follow-up 'command - control - communication' by the event's management; and concrete recommendations in the form of guidelines to help and assist with the organisation of large or very large events of all types. About 20 case studies of events of all sizes in France, Switzerland and other parts of the world (folkloric events, fairs, exhibitions, national or world championships, world fairs and the Olympic Games) gives a comprehensive picture of the various problems and solutions, structures and trends in this fast-growing sector. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126595.