Before the World Cup after the Pan American games: Rio de Janeiro in the era of sports mega-events

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present some considerations on the production of sports mega-events in Rio de Janeiro, in reference to processes of urban renewal and transformation that take place in this city. Our general hypothesis is that, by its historical and social peculiarities, the recent realization of major international events in the city and the allocation of “territories of precariousness”, Rio de Janeiro became a relevant “laboratory” for experiences on urban intervention, redefinition of public policies and treatment of social issues, weaving a diverse set of urban and social policies. We can say that this “sports mega-events era”, which started in 2007 with the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and which will extend beyond the 2016 Olympic Games, already structures a significant part of the policies in the city, which ordering principle becomes the state of emergency.