There is no manual for this": Creating Winter Olympic legacies

Ever since the success of the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988, the concept of “legacy” has grown in importance as a justification for hosting Winter Olympic Games in North America. While the term has increasingly been used to denote a positive outcome and to support hosting such Hallmark events, little has been done in terms of researching how “legacies” are best planned and implemented. This capstone analyses a number of legacy programs using the 1988 Calgary, 2002 Salt Lake City and upcoming 2010 Vancouver Games as case studies, combined with a series of in-depth interviews with specialists in the field. The study generates a list of important criteria for creating successful legacies to be considered during the initial planning process. These criteria are then used to formulate options in terms of how future Olympic legacies might be structured that stress the importance of engaging the community in a meaningful way.