Cristiana Strava, writing for Polis:
Speaking at the Legacy Conference in November 2002, current International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge criticized Olympic “luxury” projects that would become “white elephants” after the games, preferring developments that would prove sustainable afterward. After Beijing hosted the games four years ago, it became clear that the race to the top in terms of Olympic spending was spiralling out of control. In this moment, it is worth looking back and taking stock of the transformative effects the 1972 Olympics had on Munich, a city in the midst of re-inventing itself.