Atlanta and the Olympics: A One-Year Retrospective

The 1996 Olympics provided a number o f unique opportunities for the City o f Atlanta.Although most cities will not have an opportunity to host the Olympics, the Atlanta experience can provide important lessons for any city considering similar large-scale events.Clearly, the Olympics stimulated the local economy in the years leading up to the Games; they also were quite successful in promoting tourism and attracting business to the region.The city acquired a new stadium and other sports facilities.The Games also were an incentive to make a number o f improvements in urban design and infrastructure improvements.However, the redevelopment o f inner city neighborhoods that had originally been anticipated was never achieved.Reliance on private funding and a fragmented organizational structure were key factors that limited Atlanta's ability to use the Olympics as a vehicle for redevelopment.