Advancing development projects through mega-events: the 2010 football World Cup and bus rapid transit in South Africa |
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| Authors: | Astrid Wood |
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| Institution: | School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK |
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| Abstract: | In 2010, the focus of the sporting world was on South Africa, the first African country to host a Football World Cup, and the largest mega-event ever held on the continent. Mega-events like the World Cup have become instruments for governments seeking material improvements to highways and telecommunications as well as the more elusive nation-building and sanguine legacies. Whereas the literature typically concentrates on stadia and sports-related infrastructure, this paper focuses on bus rapid transit (BRT) as an “indirect legacy” to understand the way in which cities exploit the financial and political capital made available to advance projects long delayed behind more pressing endeavors. The compressed time horizons, unlocked financing and focused planning can be a “mixed blessing” however by limiting the scope of the project to the event. The paper concludes that in South Africa advancing development through the World Cup reinforced state authority and legitimacy. |
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| Keywords: | Bus rapid transit mega-events transport planning South African urbanism urban investment |
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