Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio has been placed in the worlds spotlight as it is selected to host some of the biggest international events in the short span of 4 years. Although ranked as one of the worlds most beautiful cities, Rio has been put to the test. The city plans to host World Youth Day (average attendance of 1,280,000 since 2000) in 2013, the FIFA World Cup (average attendance of 51,200 since 1994) in 2014, and the Summer Olympics 2016, but as these deadlines approach the question of ability has become focal.
The city as of now holds the title as the least-safe city in the hemisphere with a poor infrastructure and a worse public transit system. Military efforts have proven necessary in attempts to reach out to crime and drug laced neighbourhoods as possible locations for Olympic venues. The wishful budget for the Olympics of nearly 200 million dollars has expanded tenfold as Rio attempts to clean its streets for the spotlights.
Disappointingly enough, city planning for Rio ends in 2016 and begs the question: do the events prepare the city for the future? Or will they slip the city into a debt of olympic proportion?
What do you think?
Web References: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/08/09/f-vp-watson-rio-olympics.html