The Expo Master Plan Book

A compendium and analysis of site layouts of major international expositions (aka “Expos”, “World’s Fairs) held between 1929 and 2015.

Following the successful reception of The Expo Book, we are pleased to announce the publication of our new book which focuses on the Master Plans of Expos. As organizers, would-be organizers, their architects and urban planners, and other interested parties look over documentation of past Expo Master Plans seeking insights as to the criteria and process utilized in their development to aid in planning future Expos, there is woefully little information available. Like the ephemeral projects which Expos themselves are, not surprisingly the available documentation of Expo Master Plans is difficult to find consisting mainly of visitor maps in guidebooks. Thus, out of necessity, a growing body of visitor maps, aerial photographs, newspaper articles and an occasional bona fide Expo Master Plan, the material for the present book was assembled over many years, reviewed and analyzed, and the results have been utilized to develop the Expo Master Plan Book.

Written by Gordon Linden, profusely illustrated with drawings and diagrams prepared by IND – Inter.National.Design of Rotterdam, the book explores the various factors which have influenced the design and development of Expos including:

• B.I.E. Expo Categories
• Attendance
• Participation
• Organizational Criteria
• Pre-existing Site Conditions
• Site Configuration
• Transportation and Access
• Legacy Plans

The Master Plans for each Expo are presented in scaled drawings with a common legend of major land uses and facilities which permits the reader to compare and contrast their features. Data from each of the events, including attendance, site area, land uses, and number and type of participants, has been collected and is presented in the form of pictograms.

Find out more about The Expo Master Plan Book in this article in InPark Magazine.