Sprawl and Mega-Events: Discussing the Recent Expansion of a 'Missed Competitive' City

In the new context of contemporary cities, local com petitiveness for financial resources has grown more than ever, resulting in cities characterised by important so cioeconomic transformations. Earlier studies addressed the relation between urban expansion, socioeconomic development and mega-events only for specific areas and types of urban growth, often overlooking the role of mega-events in fuelling urban sprawl. As the host of the 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece is a paradig matic example for emerging cities hosting mega-events due to the close interconnection between the Olympics, infrastructure development and urban sprawl.