Operational Challenges and Mega Sporting Events Legacy: The Case of BRT Systems in the Global South

Emma Ferranti, Lauren Andres, Stuart Paul Denoon-Stevens, Lorena Melgaço, Daniel Oberling and Andrew Quinn
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Emma Ferranti: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Lauren Andres: Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1h 0NN, UK
Stuart Paul Denoon-Stevens: Urban and Regional Planning, University of Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Dr, Park West, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
Lorena Melgaço: Institute for Urban Research, Malmö University, Nordenskiöldsgatan 1, 211 19 Malmö, Sweden
Daniel Oberling: Center for Integrated Studies on Climate Change and the Environment—COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Pedro Calmon, 550 Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-901, Brazil
Andrew Quinn: Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: This paper examines the bus rapid transit (BRT) legacies of mega sporting events (MSEs) held in the Global South cities of Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro. It discusses the extent to which these transport systems have been operationally sustainable, post-MSE; in other words, their ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level and hence their ability to act as public good as planned and according to specific needs. It argues that in both cities, long-term operational challenges have emerged due to conflictual temporalities between the priorities of the MSE and the mid/long term requirements of a transport system, supplemented by a poor spatial contextualisation of BRT design. These include financial viability, providing a service with appropriate frequency and capacity, integration with other transport systems, and resilience to external shocks such as extreme weather. These findings have key academic and policy implications both by opening further areas of research towards MSEs as a tool to deliver sustainable urban transport, and provides important lessons for future MSE hosts and cities considering BRT.

Keywords: mega sporting events; bus rapid transit; Global South; sustainable transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:1609-:d:323350

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