Olympic Dreams by Burbank, Andranovich and Heying - Book Report/Review Example

Olympic Dreams by Burbank, Andranovich and HeyingIntroductionThe purpose of this assessment is to identify and summarize the most significant pieces of factual data and information that support the theories and arguments which have been presented by Burbank, Andranovich and Heying (2001) in the book titled Olympic Dreams: The Impact of Mega-events on Local Politics. The key theories and arguments that have been presented in the book highlight 1) the political dimension of urban development and 2) the competitive relationship between cities, which is prompted by their desire to gain a prominent and powerful position in the global economic arena.

Identification and Summation of Factual InformationThe significance of political decision-making with respect to urban development is a major aspect that has been assessed by Burbank, Andranovich and Heying (2001) in their book. The importance of analyzing a city’s political landscape is critical to the determination of the objectives that it wishes to pursue by securing the hosting rights to a larger-than-life event such as the Olympics. Reflecting on this concept, Burbank, Andranovich and Heying (2001) assert that the politicians of Los Angeles essentially aimed to advance the objective of establishing a positive public image for the city.

Consequently, the methods of urban development that were practiced in the city followed the same principle which led to the establishment of a decentralized area. On the other hand, the urban revitalization of Salt Lake City was essentially Olympic-driven (Burbank, Andranovich and Heying, 2011), this implies that the roots of urban development in the city were strikingly different from that of LA as the politicians of the cities wished to advance varying objectives, goals and aims. This statement is supported by Los Angeles’ adoption of what Burbank, Andranovich and Heying (2001, p. 54) describe as a “…mega-event strategy – to increase its exposure in an increasingly media-intensive world”.

In fact, Los Angeles’ bid to host the Olympics was based on finding a way to garner global attention and enhance the status of the city by holding the spectacle (Burbank, Andranovich and Heying, 2001). The second theory which has been outlined in the book emphasizes upon the relentless determination of cities across the globe to achieve unprecedented economic power by welcoming investment by large organizations and corporations and attracting worldwide events such as the Olympics. While, Los Angeles has traditionally attracted the interest of investors first in its agricultural industry and later in the real estate market thereby, leading to a consistent progression of the city’s economic potential, the same observation does not stand valid in the case of Salt Lake City.

As stated by Burbank, Andranovich and Heying (2001) the city experienced an economic decline between 1950 and 1990 which caused residents to migrate to other states. This aspect highlights the city’s need of transforming itself into an economic hub and gain global attention by securing the hosting rights to the Winter Olympics. The efforts that were undertaken during the period that preceded the beginning of the Los Angeles Olympics were also motivated by economic and financial benefits in addition with the city’s desire to rise to prominence.

This claim is supported by the development and execution of an entrepreneurial model in the case of Los Angeles Olympics (Burbank, Andranovich and Heying, 2001). This model favored the promotion of purely economic objectives by inviting corporate sponsorship and restricting political control and influence from the managerial or organizational component of the event. ReferenceBurbank, M. J., Andranovich, G. D., & Heying, C. H. (2001). Olympic dreams: The impact of mega-events on local politics.

Boulder [u.a.: Lynne Rienner.