How Rio 2016 satisfied its sponsors while leaving room for the people

Every four years, one city takes on the gargantuan project of hosting the summer Olympic Games. This mega-event comes loaded with expectations and obligations for the host city that are dictated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and enshrined in the form of the “host city contract”. As part of this contract, host cities must give up control over trading laws, sponsorship and the use of public spaces, and put special rules in place to meet the IOC’s strict brand protection requirements and ensure the games run smoothly. Such laws have a big impact on the way urban areas are used: they cordon off public spaces, enforce strict security measures and prevent local businesses from making the most of the influx of visitors to the city. This does not just apply to the areas where the venues, roads, athletes’ village and training areas are built – though the “legacy” of these developments are controversial for displacing local residents in Beijing, London and Rio. ......................