The Relationship Between Mega Events, Sustainable Social Legacies, and Community Experience: A Longitudinal Analysis Following the 2002 Winter Olympics

This research builds on previous mega event research that found that policymakers must understand citizens’ perceptions of mega events and the long-term effects it has on their community to create positive and sustainable legacies. The present study provides new insights and understanding of the social impact of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics on Heber Valley. Using the well-established systemic model of community and quantitative survey data from 1999 until 2003, as well as waves from 2007, 2012, and 2018 data, we investigate, first, if community attachment, satisfaction, and desirability changed over time and, second, how enduring feelings about the Olympics affected community sentiment. Our research finds that there were some changes in residents’ community experience over time; community attachment decreased during 2018, community satisfaction decreased in 2001, 2007, and 2018, and community desirability increased slightly in 2002. We also found that the legacies of the 2002 Winter Olympics do influence how residents feel about their community.