@unpublished{theses_frw3501,
            year = {2021},
          author = {Wouter Helmholt},
           title = {Environmental sustainability in mega-event planning and the institutional effects on the housing practice: A case study of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics},
             url = {https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/3501/},
        abstract = {Mega-events are often argued to be catalysts for change in order to justify the significant capital investments needed. Environmental sustainability has become an important aspect of mega-event planning and can thus have an effect on the host-city after the event. This research aims to analyse the institutional effects a focus on environmental sustainability during mega-event planning can have on environmentally sustainable housing practices. It utilizes the case-study of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, to be able to find concrete effects and generalise findings to put them in the broader field of mega-event research. Two types of institutional effects have been identified through literature research, namely human capital and policy effects. Both have also come up during the semi-structured interviews that were conducted for this research. A mega-event can provide confidence to set ambitious environmental standards and can be used to provide momentum to implement ambitious policies. In the case of the 2010 Games, it led to the implementation of the Greenest City Action Plan to ensure environmentally sustainable policies, including within the housing practice. A mega-event can thus further environmentally sustainable housing practices. However, the local narrative surrounding environmental sustainability and the role the mega-event plays in this narrative plays a crucial role in the outcomes.}
}