Munich votes for the Olympics: an eye on opportunities and risks!

Munich votes for the Olympics: an eye on opportunities and risks!

In a decisive vote today, the people of Munich voted with a strong majority of 66 percent to apply for the Olympic Games. This decision could put the city in the running for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Games. After the failed attempt in 2013, when citizens voted against the Winter Games, the current vote shows that the Olympics issue is back on the political agenda. So reported Zeit.de, that despite certain concerns about the International Olympic Committee (IOC), many citizens hope that the Olympic Games could bring new impetus for economic and infrastructural changes.

This is exactly the core of the arguments put forward by the supporters of the application. “Renewed games could catapult us into the modern age, similar to 1972,” says Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), who strongly supports the application. The positive feedback from the Technical University of Munich regarding planned infrastructure measures, such as the construction of cycle highways and the extension of the U4 subway line, underlines that the application also aims for a more sustainable traffic flow. “This could encourage a significant switch from cars to public transport in the future,” said an expert in an analysis carried out on behalf of the city BR.de reported.

Opportunities and risks of the Olympic bid

Of course there are also critical voices. Skeptics warn about the financial risks associated with hosting major sporting events. The economic analysis shows that under optimistic scenarios, added value for society as a whole could be achieved in the low double-digit billion range, while pessimistic scenarios predict losses in the billions. “The best concept compared to other German applicants could cushion the necessary risks,” said Merkur.de.

A key point here is managing costs and avoiding oversized sports facilities, which remain as “white elephants” after the event and are little used. The city has therefore determined that instead of new large-scale projects, infrastructure projects that can be implemented quickly should be promoted in order to limit costs on the one hand and to offer long-term benefits to citizens on the other. For example, the construction of new parks and the development of the possible Olympic Village in Munich's northeast could have a lasting, positive effect on urban development.

In summary, it can be said that Munich's bid for the Olympic Games offers an exciting future perspective, but also faces many challenges. With the clear vote of the citizens, Munich's chances are better than ever to be visible internationally as a pioneer for sustainable Olympic projects in the next few decades.