How (Not) To Host the Olympics (Part II)

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'We Will Not Leave' Words painted on a wall in a neighborhood slated for demolition. Despite some protests, Beijing citizens were powerless to stop the demolition of their homes in the name of the Olympics. Photo via Flickr CC User theroadisthegoal. Used under Creative Commons

If you remember nothing else from Part I of our Olympic City Guide, Your Very Own Guide to Successfully Hosting the Olympic Games, make it the GOLDEN RULE: “The best thing to do if you’re bidding for the Olympics, Is to Not Get the Olympics.”

As we explained in Part I, this take-it-or-leave-it mentality is key to Olympic success. See the Olympics as the Games, and, come autumn, you’ll find your city littered with resource-guzzling, empty stadiums. See the Olympics as an excuse to get your plans for Urban Renewal into hyper-drive, and you’ll get the gold: a publicity-hogging, urban makeover that will continue to make you profit years after the Olympic circus has packed up and gone home.

But Olympic legacy doesn’t just come down to dollars and cents. It often means making a very real socio-cultural impact. Which leads us to our second set of Dos and Donts, starting with DON’T: Be Shady. And yes, we’re looking at you Beijing…

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Cite: Vanessa Quirk. "How (Not) To Host the Olympics (Part II)" 20 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/243592/how-not-to-host-the-olympics-part-ii> ISSN 0719-8884

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