The legacy of Paris puts future Olympics at risk—is it time to pick a single, permanent host for the games?

By leveraging existing infrastructure for 95% of events, complying with the Paris Agreement on climate change, and renewing the reputation of the Games, Paris has set a new standard for future hosts.

Despite Paris’s innovative approach, the issue of high costs in a world marked by wealth inequality, polarization and climate crisis remains. This raises the question: could a single permanent hosting of the Games be a more sustainable solution, both economically and environmentally?

Each Games promised to leave a lasting legacy. Athens expanded its metro network, London cleaned up a huge part of its east, Barcelona reclaimed a derelict waterfront, but each had mixed results. London 2012 built only 13,000 of its 40,000 affordable homes, leaving 20,000 in disrepair. heterogeneous legacy Social division is what Paris seeks to avoid.

Paris-Green Olympics?

Paris has not built any major projects, and the only two new ones built for the games will house the Paris basketball team and will leave a huge wooden Olympic-sized swimming pool in a neighborhood where 78 percent of children still can’t swim. Crucially, the games are meant to connect the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb to the Paris suburbs. Poorest Part of France, to the center of Paris.

Controversially, Paris has spent a lot of money cleaning up the Seine, which has been legally unswimmable since 1923 due to high bacteria levels, and plans to open three permanent swimming sites to the public after the Games host open-water swimming events. The city has also added 34 miles of bike paths, 25 swimming pools It has been renovated throughout the city.

Beyond that legacy, the jury is still out on how much hosting the Olympics will boost tourism revenues in the short term. The cost of hosting the Games in Paris was much lower than other Olympics—$9.7 billion—but research suggests that the cost of hosting the Games in Paris is much lower than other Olympics. Offers The economic benefits are unclear. Jobs are temporary, and in the case of Paris, not as many tourists as expected have come. Bloomberg Reports indicate that in the end, 87% of the spectators will be French and the hotels Parisian. They were cutting Air France has cut its flight prices by 40% two days before the opening ceremony to attract visitors, and Air France-KLM estimates a loss of €200 million this summer due to lower-than-expected bookings.

The long-term outlook for tourism in Paris is becoming clearer. Every frame of every sport has a backdrop of the iconic city of Paris, which is etched in the minds of viewers: beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, skateboarding at the Place de la Concorde, equestrian events at Versailles, surfing in picturesque Teahupou in French Polynesia.

Loss of relevance?

It is this backdrop that will likely determine the legacy of the Games. With ratings dropping at each successive Olympics, many are questioning their relevance, especially after the bad press over the corruption in Sochi and Rio and the deserted stadiums in Tokyo during the Covid-19 pandemic. And while skateboarding, basketball, squash and the annual eSports Olympics for video games have been added, there are plenty of games to come. doubts That the younger generation will follow.

After all, Taylor Swift can Attract Five times as many luxury travelers come to Paris as to the Olympics, and some wonder if the athletes have Access The limits to which they can continue to break world records.

But amid global tensions, the Olympics serve as a crucial unifying event. Against the backdrop of recent tense European and French elections, the Games offer a global opportunity to bring people together. truce, The moment 206 countries united under one flag and five multi-coloured rings.

France has seized the opportunity to reframe its capital and culture in a more inclusive framework, in everything from “Welcome to Paris” video PARIS – With no political party in charge of the Olympic Games, Paris needs the International Olympic Committee now, just as the Games need Paris. If the streets of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, and the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral can’t inspire the world, what can? This rebranding effort can inspire the world and redefine the Olympic Games for a new era.

Climate change challenge

But there are other issues at stake, not just how important or cost-effective the Games will be. The climate is in crisis and brings with it very specific challenges, not least the amount of travel required by athletes, coaches, support staff and travellers to attend the Games every four years.

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July 22 and 23 were the hottest days on record, with temperatures in Paris 1.8 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than when the Games were held in 1924. In a city not known for air conditioning, athletes struggled to find ways to stay cool. All this while Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics, was hosting a major sporting event. fighting Rampant forest fires.

Then there are the police. QR codes and security barriers have made Paris impenetrable, requiring 30,000 police officers, 18,000 French military personnel and 25,000 private security guards. General Christophe Abad He said That since the end of World War II, “there has never been such a massive mobilization of military forces on French soil.”

So is there an argument for keeping the Olympics in one place or choosing the same venues?

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The IOC is leading a more streamlined and less complex process. scandalmore collaborative, and more confident in leaving a lasting legacy in democratic countries (the next Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and in Brisbane in 2032).

For the Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has already chosen the French Alps to host the games in 2030. Again, France is using 95% of the existing infrastructure and is Firstly The cost of building Salt Lake City in 2034 will be less than $2 billion. Similarly, Salt Lake City already has the infrastructure left over from the scandal-plagued 2002 Olympics. He paints But for organizers keen to keep costs down, natural snow may remain elusive, and no one wants to bear the environmental costs of producing fake powder.

Some have done it. Calls In order to restore Greece to the Summer Games forever, which will be paid for by the IOC, reuse the stadiums and work with local communities to get the best possible results for everyone. Lawsuit This would make regulation much easier, less prone to corruption and waste, and could be used for training at other times as well. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, Supports Moving the Olympic Games permanently to Greece, a move that would bring stability, sustainability and a renewed sense of purpose to the Games.

Others I think Los Angeles would be the perfect permanent host city. As the host city in 1984, it is the only city that has made a profit so far because it used existing facilities and because of the high TV revenues. It is a city that can manage tourists and security.

But there are only two concerns about keeping the Games in the same place. First, is it possible for the host city to take over permanently, especially when it involves taxpayers’ money and is a huge inconvenience? Second, and more importantly for the competitors, does anyone want to give up the support that athletes receive when they compete in their home countries? Only time will tell, but for now, the traveling circus continues.