Mega-events and infrastructure improvements : The Case of the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008

Abstract: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the Olympic Games? influence on Beijing's infrastructure improvement. The research question is how the Olympic Games make the host city accomplish change. The thesis begins with an introduction of the Olympic Games and Beijing's development. The theory here was that a Mega-event is an opportunity for a host city to improve itself, and the improvements will contribute to the Mega-event and city development. The Olympic Games can be classified as a Mega-event, and it could lead to many changes in the host city. All these improvements would help the host city to develop as a global city in future. Both qualitative and quantitative research was used in the information collection. The research has been collected through questionnaires and interviews, and the research was based on the case of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. The discussion was focused on the ties between Mega-events and city improvement. I chose to analyze the infrastructures of traffic and stadiums. As a result, we can see that Mega-event has indeed influenced infrastructural improvements. Mega-events have already become one kind of development policy and they could help host city to be a global city in future.