newelty

Christopher Rhoads of the Wall Street Journal wrote a great story about how the infrastructure created for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece has become derelict, and a symbol of the country’s ruined economy.

As Greece sifts through the wreckage wrought by its enormous public debt, which sent tremors through world finance in recent months, the Athens Games are once again unifying this nation—this time as a target of criticism. They cost an estimated $7.4 billion to $14 billion, minor in light of the more than $370 billion of public debt, but that hasn’t mitigated the resentment.

I’ve always been interested in the economics behind the Olympic games. Cities spend top dollar to pitch their destinations to the Olympic selection committee, but how does it pay back down the road? In the short term it boosts economies, but what about the long term?

China is experiencing an economic boom right now, but eventually its economy will dip. And as the article indicates, “Beijing still hasn’t figured out what to do with its massive stadium built for the Olympics, called the Bird’s Nest.”

I’ve been wondering about Vancouver. Lia and I love that city, but we’ve not been back since the winter Olympics. There was some coverage surrounding the homeless issue there, but what about the buildings built for the games that may now not be in use? Perhaps it’s not an issue, since so many of the events were in venues surrounding the city. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing how its changed, and the games’ overall impact.

I saw this piece on Dezeen today about a temporary structure made of materials from a London 2012 summer games construction site. I love the concept, and the design. Why don’t Olympic host cities do this all the time?

Now that would be innovative. And sustainable.