The future of mega sport events:Examining the ‘Dutch Approach’ to legacy planning

Purpose – Mega sport events (MSE) are immensely popular but also highly criticized because these nclude large public budgets and involve politically sensitive topics. In this context, there is an increasing attention toward legacy planning, the effort to confer long-term benefits to a host destination throughorganizing MSEs, such as the Olympic Games. When it comes to event planning, large-scale master plans are a common approach. However, in the Netherlands the authors see that an alternative development model is pursued called the Dutch Approach to prepare for the possible candidature to host the OlympicGames of 2028. This paper aims to analyze this approach with a specific focus on whether this approachhas the potential to result in a positive legacy.Design/methodology/approach – The research involves a literature review which distinguishes factors that positively or negatively influence event legacies. This results in a framework which is used as a guide for a content analysis of data on the Dutch Approach. Hence, data are obtained from analyzing academic andprofessional literature, policy documents, research reports, and newspaper articles on the Dutch Olympic ambitions, and the planning approach thereof. Moreover, data are derived from a study by the authors onthe development of the area “Sportas Amsterdam”.Findings – The research identifies factors that can contribute positively and negatively to the legacy of events. It provides a unique insight into the planning process of The Netherlands in the context preparing a bid for the Olympic Games of 2028. What can be learned from the Dutch Approach is that planning for a positive legacy is a long-term and complex process that heavily relies on the support of a range of stakeholders. Due to the range of actors involved, it involves much negotiations and becomes increasingly difficult to achieve consensus.Research limitations/implications – The paper provides a reflection on the concepts of legacy andlegacy planning, and outlines a set of propositions concerning the future of MSEs that present an agenda for further research. By doing to, the paper highlights the importance of focusing on how the relations between stakeholder involvement, planning approaches, and types of urban regimes influence the extent to which a positive legacy can be achieved.Originality/value – The paper provides a state of the art overview of contributions on event legacy and legacy planning. It draws attention to conditions for positive legacies and implications for planning andgovernance approaches. It is argued that a top-down government-led approach to a MSE will probablyhave less impact on future tourism compares to the Dutch Approac