Does culture have transformative power to make the Olympic Games sustainable?

Abstract

Public aspirations for more sustainable mega-projects not only ensuring economic returns but also comprehensive local legacies have increased in recent years. The Olympic Games in particular have been criticized as commercial ventures lacking in proportional impacts for local communities, while largely financed by public funds. With associated corruption and gentrification concerns, such projects met with increased opposition. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), struggling to attract candidate cities, adapted its strategies and frameworks, while host cities’ priorities were better heeded. Cultural policy, associated with transformative urban powers since the 1990s, became instrumental to sustainable legacies. This article explores the increased use of cultural value, from heritage to creation, as part of the Olympic Games, to reach more sustainable cultural, socio-economic, political, and environmental objectives. Can cultural planning and programming (notably Cultural Olympiads) help provide a more sustainable legacy to the redeveloped areas and their communities? Can culture also impact the Olympic project through its use of sustainable management methods (consultation, participation, co-creation, etc.)? After discussing evolving theories and practices around sustainability, legacy, and cultural policy in the Olympic context, this article analyzes the cases of London 2012 and Paris 2024 and their Athletes’ village areas (Stratford and Plaine Commune).