The Urban Transformation of a Landmark Event

Abstract

The urban impact of such landmark events as Olympics and world's fairs usually has been evaluated by focusing on aspects of urban renewal or planning, and they usually are understood as representative of elitist interests because of the resulting visibility and economic growth. Examining the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics with a sociological focus reveals that through an interactive process involving urban residents, this elitist event became a more populist urban festival. The result is a new perspective on the urban meaning of such landmark events, illustrating that positive emotions can be sustained in cities, in contrast to the usual negative emotions that are produced by urban problems.