Hosting the Olympics is an expensive proposition. Cost varies according to hosts, but even a games on a tight budget like London cost $10 billion dollars, though that’s nothing compared to the $44 billion dollar price tag for Beijing’s games or $51 billion dollars for Sochi. Olympic boosters will say the costs are worth it, while skeptics will say the money and effort is better spent directly helping its citizens. I’m going to discuss some of the tradeoffs associated with hosting the Olympics and tell you why I think only six cities should host the games from here on out: Calgary, Rio, Turin, Cape Town, PyeongChang, and Sydney.
Resources on this topic:
“Impacts of the Olympic Games as Mega-Events” by Malfas, et. al https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/2100/993/1/muen.157.3.209.49461.pdf
“Urban development through hosting international events: a history of the Olympic Games” by Chalkley and Essex
“Predicting the Costs and Benefits of Mega Sporting Events: Misjudgement of Olympic Proportions?” by Barclay http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0270.2009.01896.x/full
“Why Nobody Wants to Host the 2022 Winter Olympics” Time Magazine http://time.com/3462070/olympics-winter-2022/
“After the Party: What Happens When the Olympics Leave Town” Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html
“Of 21 Winter Olympic Cities, Many May Soon Be Too Warm to Host the Games” New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/11/climate/winter-olympics-global-warming.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
“Ghosts of Olympics Past” Reuters https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ghosts-of-olympics-past-idUSRTR30UOB#a=1
“Olympics: In rarity for Games, Pyeongchang preparations run smoothly” Kyodo News https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/01/99bed44905f6-olympics-in-rarity-for-games-pyeongchang-preparations-run-smoothly.html
“Permanent Olympic Site Would Address Growing Costs, Host Issues, Advocates Say” International Business Times http://www.ibtimes.com/permanent-olympic-site-would-address-growing-costs-host-issues-advocates-say-2040806
Photo sources:
Burbex.org. See their article on Beijing’s abandoned venues here: https://burbex.org/2016/09/30/white-water-dreams-olympic-kayaking-course-beijing-grade-b/
Wikimedia Commons contributors:
– Alexander Kachkaev
– Amadalvarez
– Andre Motta/Brasil 2016
– Charlie Fong
– David Iliff
– Hpnx9420
– Jonathan Pope
– Jpmpham
– Kristof Verslype
– MarylandPride
– Mwanner
– Paolo Costa Baldi
– Richard Giles
– Sander van Ginkel
– Sergi Larripa
– SLC_byggekloss
– Supermoving
Produced in sunny Sacramento, California.
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