Rio 2016: Perspectives Beyond the Mega-Event

In between the large, dreamy billboards and the newly constructed impressive Olympic stadiums and hotels, lies the shady realm of house removals, ecological threats and social exclusion. Yet this is not the only story. More than ever has Rio shown how mega-events also foster community solidarity, raise social mobilization or put important, often neglected, issues back to the foreground. In this Special Report, ten opinion articles tackle, each from within their policy field, the changes, failures and new initiatives that occurred in the months prior to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.