Megaprojects, Neoliberalization, and State Capacities: Assessing the Medium-Term Impact of the 2004 Olympic Games on Athenian Urban Policies. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Souliotis, Nicos; Sayas, John; Maloutas, Thomas
• Is Part Of: Environment and planning. Volume 32:Number 4(2014)
• Page Start: 731
• Page End: 745
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: neoliberalism -- Olympic Games -- urban policies -- Athens -- megaprojects -- megaevents -- state capacity; Policy sciences -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; Policy sciences; Public administration; Periodicals; 333.7
• DOI: 10.1068/c1136r
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-774X

Abstract

With this paper we examine the 2004 Olympic Games as an ambivalent catalyst for the implementation of neoliberal urban policies in Athens. We draw upon two distinct analytical streams: first, regulationist scholars' conception of neoliberalization as a path-dependent and, to a large extent, state-led process, and, second, Skocpol's 'autonomy state' approach. We argue that the implementation of neoliberal urban policies in Athens has been shaped by a combination of centralism, low central state capacity, organizational and financial weakness of business elites, and citizen movements' opposition. We first provide an overview of Athenian urban policies since the 1960s; then we examine the preparation of the 2004 Olympic Games; and, finally, we investigate the post-Olympic use of Olympic venues, including the period of the current sovereign debt crisis. In the conclusion we emphasize that the bailout agreement between Greece and the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the European Union aims at reboosting neoliberal public policies in a radical way.