Cost overruns, gentrification, oversized infrastructure, elite capture, environmental degradation – the list of negative impacts that plague hosts of mega-events from Rio to Johannesburg and from London to Sochi is long. But what are the planning failures that lead to these adverse outcomes? And what can cities, governments and citizens do about them?
This lecture distills seven deadly sins in the planning of large events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games, ranging from “event takeover” to “public overexposure”. It provides examples of their disastrous consequences, but also proposes policy approaches for future hosts to tackle them.