ABSTRACT

Hosting the Olympic Games: Uncertainty, Debates and Controversy provides a broad and comprehensive analysis of past Olympic and Paralympic events, shedding critical light on the future of the Games with a specific look at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. It draws attention to the debates and paradox that hosting the Games presents for the contemporary city.

Employing a range of interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches, individual chapters highlight the various controversies of the Games throughout the bidding process, the event itself and its aftermath. Social Science-based chapters place strong emphasis on the vital importance of sustainable strategy for contemporary host cities. Along with environmental concerns whether atmospheric, microbiological or otherwise, many other requirements, costs and risks involving security and public expenditure among others are explored throughout the book.

Including a variety of international and comparative case studies from a range of contributing academics, this will be essential reading for students and researchers in the field of Event studies as well as various disciplines including Tourism, Heritage studies and Urban and Environmental studies.

chapter |6 pages

Introduction

Lessons from the past to understand the future of the Games

part I|2 pages

Some debates concerning hosting Olympic Games

part II|2 pages

Olympic Games as a tool for urban and territorial development?

chapter 4|27 pages

The territorial and urban dimensions of the Summer Olympics

A review of publications (1984–2018)

chapter 5|13 pages

Bidding for the Olympic Games

A gearing effect?

chapter 6|34 pages

The role of heritagization in managing uncertainties linked to major events and mega urban projects

Comparing the Olympic Games in London (2012) and Athens (2004)

chapter 7|22 pages

The relationship between Olympic Games and tourism: Why such heterogeneity?

Towards a place-based approach

part III|2 pages

Risk, uncertainty and environmental issues

chapter |5 pages

Conclusion

Towards Olympic public–private partnerships