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“Bring It under the Legacy Umbrella”: Olympic Host Cities and the Changing Fortunes of the Sustainability Agenda

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  • John R. Gold

    (Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Margaret M. Gold

    (London Metropolitan Business School, London Metropolitan University, 277-281 Holloway Road, London N7 8HN, UK
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

A concern for enduring urban outcomes lies at the heart of the Olympic Games in a way that no other sporting or cultural event can match, but each age has recast the ways in which such outcomes have been framed in light of its own values and needs. Seen against that background, this paper examines the evolution of the Olympic movement’s sustainability agenda. It first considers how the environment emerged as an issue within the Winter Games through concerns over environmental protection, discusses measures introduced to embed sustainability into official Olympic practice, and explores the evolution of the dynamic relationship between sustainability and the overlapping but, to some extent, rival concept of “legacy”. The latter part of the paper illustrates these ideas with regard to the London 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. It analyses the “One Planet Games” concept, how this was developed for the bid, and how it was subsequently put into practice, commenting particularly on the carbon footprint, creation of the Olympic Park (as sustainable legacy) and the promotion of sustainable living. The conclusion comments on the continuing challenges encountered in implementing sustainability plans and addressing long-term legacy.

Suggested Citation

  • John R. Gold & Margaret M. Gold, 2013. "“Bring It under the Legacy Umbrella”: Olympic Host Cities and the Changing Fortunes of the Sustainability Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:8:p:3526-3542:d:28065
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yi-De Liu, 2018. "Legacy Planning and Event Sustainability: Helsinki as the 2012 World Design Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    2. John Lauermann, 2014. "Competition through Interurban Policy Making: Bidding to Host Megaevents as Entrepreneurial Networking," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(11), pages 2638-2653, November.
    3. Sergi Cerezo-Esteve & Eduard Inglés & Jordi Segui-Urbaneja & Francesc Solanellas, 2022. "The Environmental Impact of Major Sport Events (Giga, Mega and Major): A Systematic Review from 2000 to 2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko & Zuzana Botiková & Joanna Poczta, 2019. "“Because We Don’t Want to Run in Smog”: Problems with the Sustainable Management of Sport Event Tourism in Protected Areas (A Case Study of National Parks in Poland and Slovakia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Jinsu Byun & Becca Leopkey, 2020. "Exploring Issues within Post-Olympic Games Legacy Governance: The Case of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-25, April.
    6. Abel Meza Talavera & Sami G. Al-Ghamdi & Muammer Koç, 2019. "Sustainability in Mega-Events: Beyond Qatar 2022," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-27, November.

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