The core delivery of rethinkIMPACTS 2017 was a research-based evaluation on the impacts of Aarhus 2017. The evaluation was designed in close cooperation with researchers as well as the Aarhus 2017 Foundation. The ambition was to address questions of cultural, social, economic, political and organisational, as well as image and identity-related impacts.
The evaluation was not yet another post-event documentation of successes and failures. A part of the evaluation was formative, which means that it contributed to the development of Aarhus 2017 by providing analysis and creating knowledge throughout the process. Inclusion of both researchers and practitioners in the formulation of questions that were relevant to address as a part of the evaluation contributed to the value and quality of the evaluation.
