Two major international decisions are being made today:
which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The selected hosts will
undoubtedly celebrate their victories, and look forward to the soft and hard
benefits of hosting this most watched of sporting events. The host countries
should also take care to prepare for negative impacts – short- and long-term
effects that play out in physical, social and economic ways. Who gets selected
is surely important in some ways, but when considering these mega-events in
terms of their potential impact on the places in which they're held, who hosts
the World Cup doesn't really matter.
World Cup
Empty Stadia and Some Regret in South Africa
One year after it hosted the World Cup, South Africa is looking at empty and expensive stadia and a persistent debt that's causing some to regret hosting the soccer tournament.
The New York Times Magazine
Brazil to Receive Billions for Mobility Ahead of World Cup
The cities hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been awarded an infusion of $6 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund urban mobility and other efforts ahead of the event.
The City Fix
Brazil Hopes to Limit Sports Bodies' Powers Ahead of Mega Events
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, officials are pushing a new law that would limit the powers of the international bodies behind the two major sporting events.
The New York Times
An Olympic Ghost Town in Rio de Janeiro
Preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are displacing hundreds of families in Rio de Janeiro. One neighborhood next to a major stadium has been turned into a ghost town.
Guardian
Mega-Events Take Toll on Brazil's Slum Dwellers
This op-ed from Al Jazeera looks at some of the negative ways preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are affecting the poor in Brazil.
Al Jazeera
Stadium Renovation Prices out Brazil's Poor from its Most Revered Public Space
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, renovations to the Maracana, an infamous soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, are pricing out the city's poor. Some say the work is killing one of the city's few egalitarian public places.
The New York Times
Infrastructure Lags as Brazil Prepares to Host 2014 World Cup
Infrastructure projects are lagging in Brazil, which is causing some to worry that the country won't be ready to host the 2014 World Cup.
The National
Deep Pockets Fund Major Infrastructure in Qatar
More than $200 billion worth of projects are either planned or underway in Qatar, and nearly half of them are infrastructure.
Gulf Times
Urban Rail Coming to Qatar For World Cup
As Qatar prepares to host the 2022 World Cup, officials there have announced plans to build an urban rail network to link its 12 World Cup venues.
Railway Gazette
White Elephant Stadia Plague South Africa
Just months after the completion of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, expensive stadia built for the event sit empty and unused.
Bleacher Report
Re-Rio
With the next World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics on their way, Rio de Janeiro is in the midst of a vast citywide regeneration campaign.
Smithsonian Magazine
Pedestrianism a World Cup Legacy in Cape Town
Pedestrianism is on the rise in Cape Town, South Africa, where the recent World Cup has inspired more citizens to get out of their cars and put their feet on the street.
The Christian Science Monitor
Would A World Cup in Qatar Make Sense?
The Middle Eastern country of Qatar is bidding to play host to the 2022 World Cup. But some wonder whether the Cup might do better for the area if it were hosted by a regional coalition.
The Huffington Post
Investing in Brazil's Urban Mobility Ahead of the World Cup and Olympics
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, its cities are trying to improve their public transit systems.
The City Fix
As World Cup Ends, Olympic Dreams Spark in South Africa
Officials in South Africa say the country's successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup positions it to be a viable host for the Olympics.
Guardian
And The Winner Is…
Mon, 07/12/2010 - 08:27
Spanish football fans are celebrating in the streets, while in The Netherlands they are drowning their sorrows, but the real winners of the 2010 World Cup are the people of South Africa. Long after the last vuvuzela is sounded, residents and visitors will enjoy the legacy of new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems build in South Africa’s four major cities.
Qatar's Boom Looks Beyond World Cup
As Qatar plans to spend billions on infrastructure and stadia ahead of its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, locals are hopeful that plans will focus on longer-term impacts.
Reuters
Four Cool World Cup Stadia and Their Uncertain Futures
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa has caused the creation or redesign of ten stadia. The Architect's Newspaper offers this list of four of the most interesting stadia and what future these expensive buildings may have.
The Architect's Newspaper
Design Has Room to Grow in Brazil
As it prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, there's room to grow in Brazil's architecture and design communities.
Architect
