Games Monitor - Sustainability

The Real Political Lessons From Vancouver's Leakgate Election

Martin Slavin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:04:17 +0000

I'm getting more than a little tired of being told by the likes of his Highness Larry Campbell (or is it Sir Larry?) and, today, columnist Milo Cernetig in the Vancouver Sun's lead post-election story, just how awful the recent leaking of secret loan documents was and how the leakers should be hunted down and "hung out to dry." I'm not debating the legality of stealing government documents. What I do question is that they had to be stolen and leaked to the media just for the public to be aware of an important civic detail, like the fact I'm on the hook for $100 million loan to prop up private development that will have a very brief use as the Olympic Athletes' Village.

Why Bush will stand with Hu Jintao at the opening of the Beijing Olympics

Martin Slavin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:34:18 +0100

China's government, which invests up to a third of its $1.68 trillion in currency reserves in [US] Treasuries, is "not smart'' to invest in U.S. debt and should seek higher returns, a former legislator said [June 13 2008]. "I don't think it's a smart move to invest in U.S. bonds,'' said Cheng Siwei, former vice chairman of the National People's Congress, China's legislature, at a Beijing conference.

‘A prime opportunity for the property industry.’

Julian Cheyne — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:43:31 +0100

Recent reports in the Press (see attachment) reveal that businesses evicted to make way for the Olympics are still having to battle with the LDA over compensation. Looking back in time to reports published by the media can provide an interesting insight into the attitudes of the Olympic team (and how the media approached the project) and the difference between the rhetoric and the reality of the programme. One such report was contained in the Property Week Newsletter of 05.12.03 (see attachment) which included some particularly chilling assertions for the residents at Clays Lane.

Olympic Blacklist?

Julian Cheyne — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:06:38 +0100

Several weeks ago I came across the event featured below and thought it might be interesting to drop in. However, when I sent in my on-line application for a ticket I received a message saying I would have to wait to find out if my application had been accepted. The site run by the London Festival of Architecture also said there was no point in replying to the message as they were not organising the event and I should contact the event organisers directly. But the site failed to say who the organisers were!

How British Waterways are destroying the annual natural spectacle of Bream spawning in the Old River Lea

Martin Slavin — Sun, 25 May 2008 21:33:06 +0100

How the 2012 Olympics is selling East London short, and a 10 point plan for a more positive local legacy

Martin Slavin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:20:31 +0100

Waterlogged Allotments at Marsh Lane Fields. Feb 2008 © Martin Slavin

The Olympics site is eating into east London's green spaces

Martin Slavin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:36:19 +0100

American landscape architects are promising east Londoners a park that will be "equivalent to Hyde Park" and "will give the area an equal weight to the west" (Olympics will leave east London an open space to rival Hyde Park, March 17). However, there are fundamental questions about the way the park and its surrounding developments are being planned that your article fails to address.

Colorado the only state ever to turn down Winter Olympics after winning bid

Martin Slavin — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:29:10 +0000

With a brash young lawyer-lawmaker named Dick Lamm leading the way, residents said they didn't want the 1976 Winter Olympics. And they said it in a big way. The landmark vote on Nov. 7, 1972, wasn't even close -- 514,228 to 350,964. A 59.4 percent majority said they weren't willing to spend tax dollars to have the Games in their state.

2016 Bid cities told ' No financial guarantee, no olympics'.

Martin Slavin — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:06:33 +0000

Chicago's 2016 bid committee hopes the 80 pages of information it sent last week to the International Olympic Committee will help distinguish the quality of the city's Summer Olympic bid from those of its six rivals. After all, the IOC will pick finalist cities in June largely on the basis of that information.

India's cynical plans for Delhi to become 'a world class city' for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Martin Slavin — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:39:52 +0000

Although the Commonwealth Games are just under three years away, India's capital is being reshaped as the city prepares for the biggest sporting event in its history. The Delhi government has begun putting up posters saying the capital will be transformed into a "world-class city" by the 2010 deadline.