Publication

In the run up to the 2016 Olympic Games, this backgrounder reviews the debates over the economic costs and benefits of hosting such a mega-event. In particular, the author examines 1) the point in history when the games started to become an economic burden to host cities; 2) the actual costs which cities can incur from hosting this event, including the burdens Rio de Janeiro has most recently assumed; and 3) the ways in which the costs of hosting the Olympic Games could be made more manageable.