[Some of Atlanta's Olympic legacies. Pictures via Facebook.]
With much of the world quadrennially tuning into watch competitive archery and synchronized diving, those interested in urban and city planning are using the occasion of the London Games to examine the legacy of hosting an Olympics. In their examination of host cities since 1984, thisbigcity and Future Capetown investigate the financial aftermath, as well as lasting contributions the Olympics made of the landscapes of Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing. By their reckoning, Atlanta fared pretty well. In spite of the unpleasantness that marred the '96 Olympics (transportation clusterf*cks, the gaudy commercialization of everything possible, and that third one- oh yeah, the whole bomb thing), the City didn't emerge with any debt. It also got a transformative park (Centennial Olympic) and new homes for its sports teams. Not all cities have fared as well, notably Athens and Beijing. Overall a very interesting perspective on one of the greatest spectacles on Earth.
· Olympic Cities: Urban Legacies from Three Decades of the Olympic Games [This Big City | Future Cape Town]