Four Cities Make USOC 2024 Bid Shortlist

[Quaker2001]

That seems like a rather drastic proposition. DC would have a great amount of global appeal as an Olympic host.

It could, but.. they would need a workable plan and support to back that plan for it to become a reality. The odds of that happening are pretty slim IMO.

[woohooitsme83]

Besides, excessive persistence could make the city seem like a repeating nuisance to the IOC.

[Nacre]

That seems like a rather drastic proposition. DC would have a great amount of global appeal as an Olympic host.

I'm curious as to what foreigners view as appealing about the city. From my perspective it's a huge version of Canberra or a larger Brasilia.

Its architecture and urban design are also ironically non-American. The Mall is based on the palatial grounds of Europe, the layout of the city streets is classic Baroque, the Washington Monument is patterned after an Egyptian obelisk, neoclassical architecture is of course based on that of Greece and Rome, the height limit is more strict than Paris, etc. Meanwhile it's notably bereft of classic American architecture and cultural influences since the city has tried to stick to the founding neoclassical model and resist trends in the country as a whole.

That's not to say that it is a BAD city. But it seems like a perplexing choice for an Olympic host city.

[Karenina]

I'm curious as to what foreigners view as appealing about the city. From my perspective it's a huge version of Canberra or a larger Brasilia.

Its architecture and urban design are also ironically non-American. The Mall is based on the palatial grounds of Europe, the layout of the city streets is classic Baroque, the Washington Monument is patterned after an Egyptian obelisk, neoclassical architecture is of course based on that of Greece and Rome, the height limit is more strict than Paris, etc. Meanwhile it's notably bereft of classic American architecture and cultural influences since the city has tried to stick to the founding neoclassical model and resist trends in the country as a whole.

That's not to say that it is a BAD city. But it seems like a perplexing choice for an Olympic host city.

Honestly, I think that's part of what makes DC unique amongst American cities. It's probably my favorite city in the US after San Francisco. I love all of the museums along the Mall and I find the various monuments & memorials to be very moving. It's a beautiful city, any time of the year. I'm not even sure the humidity is as big of a deal as some have mentioned. If Atlanta can host the Summer Olympics during July/August then certainly DC wouldn't be any worse. Having said that, much as I love DC, I'd skip a Summer Olympics they hosted because I don't do humidity. Four years of college in Virginia was more than enough for this born and bred West Coaster.

[breathesgelatin]

I honestly can't believe anyone would bring up the Redskins as an asset. To me, that team seems more of an embarrassment, something DC would need to account for on the world stage were they going up to bid. Ugh. What a racist team name - a huge liability.

[binary]

I honestly can't believe anyone would bring up the Redskins as an asset. To me, that team seems more of an embarrassment, something DC would need to account for on the world stage were they going up to bid. Ugh. What a racist team name - a huge liability.

Its not the team itself (in fact more the nfl and ownership). People, myself included, were citing said teams support and history in dc. However, i could totally see how that name could PO some people. Especially foreigners who dont really know the nfl.

[Nacre]

I'm not even sure the humidity is as big of a deal as some have mentioned.

I've been there in August and gotten heat stroke. It's pretty rough if you are coming from the west coast, midwest, northeast, Europe, etc.

Honestly, I think that's part of what makes DC unique amongst American cities. It's probably my favorite city in the US after San Francisco. I love all of the museums along the Mall and I find the various monuments & memorials to be very moving.

I certainly don't dislike the city, but it's kind of a bizarre place in being simultaneously way over the top in American nationalism while also not actually having much in the way of mainstream American culture, art or architecture outside of the museum collections.

[FYI]

Ohhh, if only Tulsa was still in the running! :-D :-P

[Alexjc]

I'm curious as to what foreigners view as appealing about the city. From my perspective it's a huge version of Canberra or a larger Brasilia.

Its architecture and urban design are also ironically non-American. The Mall is based on the palatial grounds of Europe, the layout of the city streets is classic Baroque, the Washington Monument is patterned after an Egyptian obelisk, neoclassical architecture is of course based on that of Greece and Rome, the height limit is more strict than Paris, etc. Meanwhile it's notably bereft of classic American architecture and cultural influences since the city has tried to stick to the founding neoclassical model and resist trends in the country as a whole.

That's not to say that it is a BAD city. But it seems like a perplexing choice for an Olympic host city.

Washington was designed by Masons, it's based on a giant pentagram, the founding fathers envisioned the city would one day be the greatest government on earth...

They weren't kidding.

Would make an interesting host of an Olympics, unusual though. Agree with other comments here, an administrative centre more than anything else.

[Dino]

I'm curious as to what foreigners view as appealing about the city. From my perspective it's a huge version of Canberra or a larger Brasilia.

Its architecture and urban design are also ironically non-American. The Mall is based on the palatial grounds of Europe, the layout of the city streets is classic Baroque, the Washington Monument is patterned after an Egyptian obelisk, neoclassical architecture is of course based on that of Greece and Rome, the height limit is more strict than Paris, etc. Meanwhile it's notably bereft of classic American architecture and cultural influences since the city has tried to stick to the founding neoclassical model and resist trends in the country as a whole.

That's not to say that it is a BAD city. But it seems like a perplexing choice for an Olympic host city.

[Dino]

Because the city was designed by a French architect L'Enfant and it's patterned after the classical capitals of Europe, particularly Rome and Paris. The design of the city is to showcase museums, monuments and palatial buildings. If you're looking for American-influenced architecture, you wouldn't see much in DC because American culture hasn't taken shape yet when the city was founded barely 20 years after independence. If you're looking for heavily American architecture, you'd find it in Chicago-as it's produced two Chicago schools of architecture.

[mr.bernham]

Because the city was designed by a French architect L'Enfant and it's patterned after the classical capitals of Europe, particularly Rome and Paris. The design of the city is to showcase museums, monuments and palatial buildings. If you're looking for American-influenced architecture, you wouldn't see much in DC because American culture hasn't taken shape yet when the city was founded barely 20 years after independence. If you're looking for heavily American architecture, you'd find it in Chicago-as it's produced two Chicago schools of architecture.

Then again, typical American architecture is based off of neo-classical works. It was not really until post World War 2 that our cities branched off of it and turned to urban sprawl.

[Nacre]

Then again, typical American architecture is based off of neo-classical works. It was not really until post World War 2 that our cities branched off of it and turned to urban sprawl.

Neo-classical means Greek or Roman. Office buildings, houses, etc weren't patterned after that model before WW2. It's only the government buildings that try to look like something that might have been built in ancient Rome or Athens.