Thirty years ago, the city of Brisbane in Australia hosted a Specialised Expo. This was an event in both senses of the word – it was a planned occasion with a specific theme, but it was also a pivotal moment – a point from which things were never the same again for the host city. Expo 88 left an obvious physical impression on the cityscape, but there were more subtle legacies too; including a shift in the lifestyles and cultural habits of local people. This article explains the significance of Brisbane’s Expo and outlines the reasons why other cities should pay attention to this example of Expo-led urban change.

Expo 1988 Brisbane was a runaway success and a game changer for the City of Brisbane. Attracting more than 18 million visitors - more than the total population of Australia at the time - and visited by numerous Heads of State and opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Expo, with its friendly furry platypus mascot "Expo Oz" and theme song "Together, We'll Show the World" was 1788-1988 Bicentennial Australia's largest and most successful event, proudly presenting a modern and brash Brisbane to the world stage.

But what about what happened after Expo, and its "Post-Expo" legacy?