Drawing upon historical, cultural, economic and socio-demographic perspectives, this book examines the role of a sporting mega-event in promoting urban regeneration and social renewal. Comparing cities that have or will be hosting the event, it explores the political economy of the games and the changing role of the state in creating post-industrial metropolitan spaces. It evaluates the changing perceptions of the Olympic Games and the role of sport in the global media age in general and assesses the implication of 'mega-event' regeneration policies for local communities and their cultural, social and economic identities, with specific reference to east London and the Thames Gateway.
Contents: Preface, Iain MacRury and Gavin Poynter; Part 1 The Modern Games and Social Change: Sport, spectacle and society: understanding the Olympics, Michael Rustin; The evolution of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 1948-2012, Gavin Poynter; Branding the Games: commercialism and the Olympic city, Iain MacRury; Olympic-driven urban development, Dean Baim. Part 2 Olympic Cities: The legacy of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Hyunsun Yoon; The economy of the Barcelona Olympic Games, Ferran Brunet; Atlanta (1996): the Centennial Games, Gavin Poynter and Emma Roberts; Regenerating Sydney's West: framing and adapting an Olympic vision, Richard Cashman; The 28th Olympic Games in Athens 2004, Roy Panagiotopoulou; The economy of the Beijing Olympic Games: an analysis of prospects and first impacts, Ferran Brunet and Zuo Xinwen. Part 3 London 2012: London: preparing for 2012, Gavin Poynter; London 2012 and the regeneration game, Penny Bernstock; 'Race', sport and East London, Kevin Hilton and Nigel D. Morpeth; London 2012 - winning the Olympic 'green' medal, Paul Toyne; Technology, space and the paralympic athlete, Allan Edwards, Otto J. Schanz and Keith Gilbert; Where is England in contemporary Britain - and will the 2012 Olympics help us find it? Andrew Blake; London, Beijing and the role of culture in reconstructing society, Andrew Calcutt. Part 4 Olympic Legacies: Olympic cities and social change, Iain MacRury and Gavin Poynter; Index.
