Stadiums or Schools: Are Massive Sporting Events Good or Bad for Cities?

Stadiums or Schools: Are Massive Sporting Events Good or Bad for Cities?

In Wake of Brazilian Unrest, New Book Looks at Effects of the Olympics on Former Host Cities Around the World.

NEW YORK, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of thousands in Brazil have taken to the streets to protest government spending on the construction of facilities that will house the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. In Greece there is lingering anger over the billions spent on (now unused) stadiums built for the 2004 Summer Olympics, and London--host of the most recent Games--will need to spend over £150m to renovate their stadium before it can be used by its new tenants.

The effects of massive sporting events on cities and their citizens is the focus of a new photography book, THE OLYMPIC CITY, by photographers Jon Pack and Gary Hustwit. They have traveled to 13 cities--from sprawling urban capitols like Beijing to tiny hamlets like Lake Placid, NY--to document the successes and failures of the Olympic Games. The book looks at what remains after these large-scale events have ended, and provokes questions about who benefits when cities make permanent changes (and spend billions of dollars) on a temporary spectacle.

Sample photos:

Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Athens (2004 Summer Olympics)

http://olympiccityproject.com/gallery/?img=1

Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing (2008 Summer Olympics)

http://olympiccityproject.com/gallery/?img=3

Olympic Village, Moscow (1980 Summer Olympics)

http://olympiccityproject.com/gallery/?img=4

Montjüic Communications Tower, Barcelona (1992 Summer Olympics)

http://olympiccityproject.com/gallery/?img=5

Book cover:

http://olympiccityproject.com/img/olympic_city_cover.jpg

THE OLYMPIC CITY hardcover book featuring 200 photos from the project was released today. The book is designed by award-winning graphic designer Paul Sahre and features a foreword by New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman. An ebook version is also available, and an exhibit of photos from the project is currently on view in New York City at The powerHouse Arena.

Jon Pack and Gary Hustwit are available for interviews for stories about the Brazilian protests or to discuss the book.

Gary Hustwit is a New York- and London-based documentary filmmaker and photographer who is know for his trilogy of design-related films: Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized. Jon Pack is a Brooklyn-based photographer who has exhibited work in galleries in the US and Europe.

For more details on the project and book: http://www.olympiccityproject.com

For details on the NYC photo exhibit: http://www.powerhousearena.com



SOURCE Film First Co

Film First Co

CONTACT: For interview and image requests please contact Jessica Edwards at jessica@filmfirstco.com, 1-917-620-8529

Web Site: http://www.olympiccityproject.com


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