With the usual apologies for cross-posting...
Dear All,
Please find below the first Call for Papers for a session on 'Olympic
legacies and sustainable urban development' at the RGS-IBG 2013 Annual
Conference in London.
This Session is sponsored by the Planning and Environment Research Group
(PERG).
Session Title
'Olympic Legacies and Sustainable Urban Development'
Organisers
Holger Kretschmer, University of Cologne, Germany ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ) and Valérie Viehoff, University of East
London, UK ([log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> )
Call for Papers
Creating lasting and sustainable (positive) legacies has become an
increasingly important aspect for any city intending to host the Olympic
Games, especially since positive legacies have been included as one of the
core aims of the Olympic Movement, enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
However, despite the recent proliferation of "legacy promises", especially
leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, actual legacy outcomes after the
mega-event vary widely and methods and measures of evaluating, measuring and
assessing the legacy outcomes are still being developed (e.g. Olympic Games
Impact Study for London 2012).
Olympic Games have undoubtedly a significant impact on urban development,
e.g. by resulting in new or improved transport infrastructure and sport
facilities. However, the necessary investments are also significant. Host
cities, local organising committees, governments and the IOC hence all have
vested interests in emphasising the lasting positive outcomes (legacies) of
"their Games". Furthermore, host cities might attempt to develop holistic
planning strategies with the aim of capturing some of the value created
through the hosting of the Olympic Games and thus "plan for lasting
legacies".
Yet, one might wonder, haven't all Olympic Games left behind a legacy in the
host city/cities? Considering the definition of legacy as "(1) an amount of
property or money left in a will; (2) something handed on or left unfinished
by a past owner or predecessor" (Chambers Dictionary, 2012), might not even
the negative legacy of huge debts (Montreal 1976), the intangible legacy of
raised international awareness (Seoul 1988) or the financial profit made by
private investors (Atlanta 1996) be considered Olympic legacies?
Taking the long view back, one might also ask whether previous Olympic host
cities have not always tried to achieve long-term profits or advantages from
hosting the games long before the term legacy became fashionable. How does
the concept of "legacies" differ from "sustainability" or other concepts of
urban planning used before Rio 1992 and the Agenda 21?
The session is open to theoretical as well as empirical reflections on the
concept of "legacy". We welcome contributions reflecting critically on the
idea of "planning legacies" or dealing critically with the reality of urban
regeneration in the aftermath of the mega-event. But we are just as well
interested in contributions that deal with positive examples or cases of best
practice of achieving positive social, urban, and environmental legacies.
Abstract Submission
If you would like to contribute to this session please send your abstract of
not more than 250 words to [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
by Wednesday, the 6th February 2013.
Dr. Valerie Viehoff
University of East London
Docklands Campus
University Way
London E16 2RD
Phone: +44 (0)20 8223 3321
Email: [log in to unmask]
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