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Higher, longer, costlier: Risiko in der Planung von Grossprojekten

2012-12-19 , Mueller, Martin

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Popular perception of urban transformation through megaevents: understanding support for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

2012-08-29 , Mueller, Martin

With the increasing number and impact of events hosted by cities, understanding the nature of popular support for them and the resulting urban transformations is a crucial task. This paper examines residents' perceptions of the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, asking how support differs across social groups and what factors predict support. It finds that negative impacts from preparations dominate public opinion, but that there is nevertheless a solid support base for the event. Support tends to be strongest among non-Russians, the younger generation and residents who have good knowledge of the preparations. Perception of positive impacts, in particular expected image improvement, is the strongest predictor of support, while perception of negative impacts shows a much weaker association with support. The paper concludes that delivering on the positive aspects of events might be more important for administrations than minimizing the negative side-effects.

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The economic impact of Olympic tourism: When, who and how much?

2010 , Mueller, Martin

No Olympics could do without exact measuring. In the 100 m sprint race, milliseconds separate winners from losers. But when it comes to measuring the economic benefits of Olympic tourism, figures vary by several billion. How can we get a grip on the economic impact of tourism associated with the Olympics?

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State dirigisme in megaprojects: governing the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

2011-09-29 , Mueller, Martin

This paper examines the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and links it to debates on state rescaling and urban entrepreneurialism in mega-projects. It argues that the Olympic mega-project in Sochi follows a model of state dirigisme which accords a salient role to the national state. Although private sector companies act as investors, the national state steers the planning process and directs the investment. This arrangement is reflected in a business-state relationship where the boundaries between the public and the private sector become blurred, as the state establishes directive control over companies. The model of state dirigisme is underpinned by a nationalist narrative which frames the Olympic Games not primarily as a stimulus for economic development and global competitiveness but as a contribution to Russian greatness. This mode of governing the Olympic Games deviates from the model of entrepreneurial governance and the concomitant state rescaling, dominant in mega-projects in North America and Western Europe, in according a prominent role to the national state rather than to market-led development pushed by cities as lead actors.