Istanbul, Madrid, Tokyo Vie For Olympics, But Is It Worth It?
The International Olympic Committee will decide Saturday on the host of the 2020 Summer Games. Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo are vying for the honor.
As our reporters noted on Morning Edition, these are all world-class cities with strong selling points, but they also have some serious problems.
Istanbul
NPR's Anthony Kuhn reported this morning on some of the preparations in Istanbul, where there is optimism surrounding the games.
Turkey would be the first predominantly Muslim country to host the Olympics. But there are hurdles, too: "Violent crackdowns on street protests thrust Istanbul into the headlines this summer, and a doping scandal has rocked the country's sporting federation," Anthony says.
And, he says, environmentalists and urban planners say the last thing Istanbul needs in more mega-projects.
Tokyo
Tokyo last hosted the games in 1964. Reporter Lucy Craft says the Olympics are a chance for Japan to show "it still matters."
Tokyo is one of the richest cities in the world, but the Japanese economy has barely recovered from nearly two decades of low growth. Lucy says:
"[For] Japan the Summer Games are a chance to show it still matters. Saddled with a shrinking, graying population, living uncomfortably in the shadow of an ascendant China, Japan is anxious to prove it remains a contender. On the practical side, the Games were seen as a much-needed boost to tourism, for a country that is way off the beaten track and expensive to visit."