Urban Planet is a daily roundup of blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
As we look forward to the London 2012 Summer Games, The Atlantic Cities looks back to the venues of the Beijing Olympics. While some venues are still in use, many, including those for kayaking, beach volleyball, BMX, and baseball, remain untouched. As author, Mark Byrnes points out, “Beijing Olympics officials approached the 2008 Games as an opportunity to host the world’s biggest sporting event, not to create infrastructure of permanent importance.”
Image from The Atlantic Cities
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2 comments
Boondoggle. Exists solely to enrich speculators, and impoverish the common weal. May Canada never get another one, especially the summer version.
If countries are people, (when done “incorrectly”) hosting Olympic is like buying a fancy car and mansion to impress your friends for a weekend while secretly eating instant noodles and sleeping on the floor* for the next few years. Some people prefer bragging rights and appearance over substance.
*some cultures do prefer to sleep on the floor, but in this case it’s because the person cannot afford a bed.