Kirsten Garmers

Vancouver 2010: Olympic Games and Arts in the City: the Potential Impacts of the Olympic Games 2010 and Their Cultural Component on the Arts Community of Vancouver, Canada Kirsten Garmers

Urban development and the arts strongly influence each other ¿ all the more when mega-events such as the Olympic Games are added to the picture as they will be in Vancouver in 2010. What happens to a city and its arts community once the decision for the next host city is made? How can the influx of new funding, increased world-wide attention and a common goal be used to develop the city into a creative world class city; a great home for all of its citizens and visitors alike? Over a period of several years the preparations for a mega-event shape the atmosphere of and urban change taking place in the city, and exert an enormous influence on the local economy, civic pride and people¿s lives in general. Vancouver¿s existing diverse arts community and the extensive plans for the cultural component hold vast potential to contribute to the successful staging of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Employing computer-based content analysis of expert interviews, the author assesses the expectations, fears and hopes of the arts community and, linking these to theoretical concepts of urban development, outlines the potential impacts of the Olympic Games coming to Vancouver.