Rezoning the Olympic Bid for Sustainability

While the Olympics certainly sets a stage upon which its host city can rise, Tom Angotti makes it clear in his book, New York for Sale, that this preparation of Olympic land closely aligns with the local real estate agenda as well. In 2012, when New York set up its bid for the Summer Olympics, public participation was largely ignored in favor of mass rezoning. These rezoning policies would geographically carve an “X” into the New York landscape in homage to the ancient crossroads and promise of globalization. Yet, despite this message of unification, many of the residing immigrants were excluded from the picture, and would not even be able to afford a ticket to the games. Furthermore, the change in landscape would revive developments in Hunters Point, Queens, as well as increased traffic to Chelsea Piers—all actions which would increase income in the real estate coalition (Angotti 212, 213).   

Angotti also described in part, the necessity for community coalitions—a topic more closely studied in an article by Harry Hiller and Richard Wanner, Public Opinion in Olympic Cities: From Bidding to Retrospection. In this analysis, surveys of population input from both the Vancouver and London games were taken into account. Surveys initially measured economic and financial concerns, i.e. ticket prices, transportation, and then later emotions regarding the games. It was clear that opposition existed. In Vancouver, protest groups such as No Games 2010 voiced concerns over an area of poverty, the Downtown Eastside, in order to ensure that being within proximity to the venues, they too would garner benefits from its events. In London, focus on revitalization of the environmentally dilapidated area of the East End was met with opposition as a result of plans to rezone the area for commercial and leisure purposes (Hiller and Wanner, 13). Yet, public opinion was not largely considered as a factor in planning—in fact in a poll gauging the support given for bids, “under ‘Government, Legal Issues and Public Support,’ government support is valued much more highly in this category (65%–70%) than public support (15%)” (Hiller and Wanner 9).

Had this study been conducted in New York, much of the opposition, similar to those of Vancouver, may have been found in strong community coalitions advocating for their respective agendas. Interestingly enough; however, while it has been these coalitions that have stopped deleterious developments in the past or have proposed alternatives, they were not necessarily the defining player in the 2012 plan prevention. Rather, in this case, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) takes into account economic and financial feasibility among other factors, proposed and supported by the federal and city government. Although on a city-scale the mayor and appointed officials may have the final say, on a global-scale it is instead international organizations that may have the power to halt overly ambitious plans.

In the States, Los Angeles has seemed to taken into account the voices of its residents as the designated host of the 2028 Olympics (Paris receiving LA’s original 2024 proposition). With a theme of “sustainability”, the city has taken measures to reuse venues to reduce economic burden on the population. Officials have also been working with local organizations such as LA84, a charity organization funding youth sports in order to ensure youth involvement and revenue returns to the community. As community coalitions have strengthened overtime in New York, it is the hope that with increased awareness, the IOC will also take these coalitions into account on a global stage as well.

Works Cited

Angotti, Tom. New York for Sale Community Planning Confronts Global Real Estate. The MIT Press, 2011.

Hiller, Harry H., and Richard A. Wanner. “Public Opinion in Olympic Cities.” Urban Affairs Review, 22 Dec. 2016, p. 107808741668403., doi:10.1177/1078087416684036.

“Los Angeles’ Bid for the Olympics and Paralympics.” Legislative Analyst’s Office, 6 July 2017, www.lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3695.