The Olympic Effect in strategic planning: insights from candidate cities

Strategic planning was incorporated into urban planning processes towards the end of the twentieth century. It was propelled by the ‘Barcelona model’, intrinsically related with the hosting of the 1992 Summer Olympics. Since then, the Olympic Games have been increasingly seen as powerful tools to catalyse development. They are perceived as provoking an Olympic Effect that has been characterized in literature as an intensified impact of development policies when implemented in the context of the event. Furthermore, the catalytic character of the Games and its associated city-branding potential are often seen as the primary reasons why cities bid for hosting it. This paper argues that the definition of Olympic Effect shall be established in strategic planning practices before both the catalytic effect on development projects and the augmented impact in territories and communities. For that, candidatures of cities bidding to host the Games are qualitatively analysed. The results contribute to the recognition of the increased presence of a strategic vision in Olympic candidatures, the characterization of strategic planning in the context of the Olympic Games, the identification of its role in the city’s overall strategic planning processes, and the definition of the Olympic Effect as a resource for urban strategic planning.