ABSTRACT
This chapter is written in the context of the London 2012 Games. The authors have led four major projects focused on measuring legacy. The Olympic Games Impact studies were designed to meet the desire of the International Olympic Committee to develop a scientific analysis of the impact of the Games. London 2012 was the first Summer Games for which this was mandated through the host city contract. But there have been a considerable number of other enquiries, reviews, ‘meta-evaluations’ and ‘supra-evaluations’ as well. ‘Legacy’ is defined here as any net impact arising from the Games. The term ‘impact’ refers to any change or transformation, positive or negative, that can be attributed to the Games. This implies that both linkage and counterfactual are known. For the most part, this has relied on conventional statistical approaches, which require all tangible and intangible benefits to be monetized. However, this is likely to overlook key elements of social value which reside in lifestyles, beliefs and culture. For this we may need to turn to Big Data approaches of analyzing social media to evidence informal impacts to do with individual enjoyment and inspiration derived from a mega-event.
