What: A talk for the Royal Geographic Society of Queensland by Professor Marcus Foth, School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
When: Tuesday, March 03, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Abstract: Brisbane’s successful bid for the 2032 Olympic Games was globally promoted as the world’s first “climate-positive” Olympics. The host organisers used the media to signal this as a supposed turning point in mega-event sustainability. Yet this contractual commitment was later quietly removed from the Olympic Host Contract, replaced by weaker aspirational language with no enforcement mechanisms. Drawing on comparative research with colleagues at Politecnico di Torino and recent developments in Brisbane, this talk examines how sustainability rhetoric, visual spectacle, and governance practices intersect in contemporary Olympic planning. For more information and registration visit: https://rgsq.org.au/event-6555834