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BOB DIGBYPRESIDENT, GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION
GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCEAPRIL 2013
2012 – Just a summer to remember?
A view from the Royal Box …
….. but also a great deal of geography!
Putting Geography to work
Re-generating and transforming one of London’s poorest areas
Implementing sustainable principles into urban regeneration – the ‘sustainable Games’
A celebration of London’s diversity – to create a ‘Games for the world’ in one city
Inspiring young people to take part in sportCreating a legacy which would last beyond
2012
The context of east London
Source of photos – Trevor Llewelyn
The context of east London
• Closure of London’s docks & decline in the Lea Valley
• Deep-rooted deprivation & low environmental quality
• Docklands regeneration had failed to reduce deprivation
Ken Livingstone photo : http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/20/globalradio.radio
And the vision ahead ……
The world’s first ‘Sustainable Games’
• Convergence: reducing disparity
• Concept of an Olympic Park based on Sydney’s 2000 ‘Green Games’
• Environmental remediation of contaminated land
• Broad ‘Green’ principles – the Olympic Environmental Guidelines developed by Greenpeace (2000)
15 Sustainable principles
1. Reduce Energy consumption2. Develop public transport systems3. Chemical-free refrigeration & air
conditioning 4. Low impact building materials5. Sustainable timber use6. Habitat protection or expansion7. Reduce air, water & soil pollution8. Encourage water conservation9. Improve indoor air quality (decoration,
light & ventilation)10.Reduce consumption of natural resources11.Waste avoidance & minimisation12.Avoidance of Genetically Modified
Organisms13.Increase quality of life14.Take account of cultural & historical
context15.Transparency & monitoring in the
development process
Source: http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/PageFiles/301173/guideline.pdf
The legacy of Athens 2004
Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/the-2004-olympic-legacy-that-london-must-avoid-6868504.html
Photo removed due to copyright. You can view the photo by typing in the URL after ‘Source’ below.
The legacy of Athens 2004‘The diving pool .. is home to a flip-flop, plastic bags, & polystyrene
cups’
‘The velodrome is ghostly quiet. Bird droppings cover the seating, the backs of which have also been spray-painted with graffiti’
‘Meanwhile, a vast Olympic Park … remains an abject wasteland. Three Olympic stadia …. go to waste. The fencing venue is … a
derelict hangar.’Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/the-2004-olympic-legacy-that-london-must-avoid-6868504.html
Photo removed due to copyright. You can view the photo by typing in the URL after ‘Source’ below.
The legacy of Beijing 2008
Photo courtesy of http://tripideas.org/beijing-olympic-stadium-china/
“Besides exhibition matches, concerts and a winter theme park, the Bird's Nest is barely used for anything other than tourism.”David Bond, BBC Sport blog
So what of London’s prospective legacy?
Promises of:A legacy use for every venueEnvironmental transformation Achieving high standards in sustainabilitySocial housing Economic opportunity and multiplier
1 Environmental change•A new Olympic Park along the Lea Valley•Soil remediation, creation of wildlife habitats
Changing this …..
…into this
2 Social change – the Athletes’ Village•2800 housing units built from sustainable materials•BREEAM rating ‘Excellent’
3 Economic changeEmployment based around sport …
The International Media Centre•3000 technology and media jobs?•A new ‘Silicon Valley’?
….. and technology
Source of photo – Peter Price
A new Green Economy?
London as a model for future cities?
Regeneration using sustainable design criteria
Timeline for the Olympic Park
1 January 2013
Renamed:
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park
Easter 2013 / Summer 2014
The Orbit and southern Park open
Early summer 2013 First new residents moveinto East Village
Summer 2013: The Copper Box opens as a local community leisure facility
Late 2013:The Lea Valley Velopark BMX track, mountain-bike trail & road circuit open
Spring 2014 The Aquatic Centre opens as a local swimming baths
• West Ham confirmed as tenantsWest Ham confirmed as tenants• 2017 World Athletics Championships2017 World Athletics Championships• UK Athletics flagship eventsUK Athletics flagship events• Summer Concerts – Live NationSummer Concerts – Live Nation• ButBut – the first Premiership matches 2015? – the first Premiership matches 2015?• 2015 World Cup Rugby? 2015 World Cup Rugby? • 20/20 Cricket?20/20 Cricket?
Summer 2015 onwards
The legacy as a stimulus for further change ….
2015-16: the first full year of events and
activities (9 million visitors to the new Park?)
2017: Crossrail opens at Stratford.
July – World Athletics Championships
By 2030: five new residential neighbourhoods,
with over 8000 new homes
A true ‘Re-branding’ of east London
Ripple effects on local Ripple effects on local regeneration …regeneration …
.. and gentrification
Source of photo – Jo Shave
Measuring success of the Games
How to assess? Greenpeace awarded Sydney 5 out of 10 for the 2000 Games, based on their own criteriaSuccessful design of an Olympic Park Environmental design improvements considerable Improved public transport Shortcomings:Shrouded in political secrecyThe economics of the Games – sponsorship from Coca-Cola & McDonald’sSocial issues ignored, particularly housing
WWF Assessment of the Athens 2004 Games
Criteria in which Sydney – for the most part – scored especially well
Comparable Assessment of London’s 2012 Games
8.4 out of 10
London 2012 – some qualifiers
Hard to assess overall impact – external ‘events’ A time of great economic and social change –
rapid population growth in Newham accelerating demand for housing
Political change in London in 2008 – affordable housing reduced from 3000 homes to 1400
Like Sydney, social shortcomings blur the picture
We achieved a few things …
So – was that it?
We could do it – we could host the Olympic and Paralympic Games
On time, under budget (-£377m) , On time, under budget (-£377m) , and (probably) at a profitand (probably) at a profit
Tourism:Tourism:•Handling large numbers for mega-Handling large numbers for mega-eventsevents•Impact on hotels & employment Impact on hotels & employment
London’s London’s transport transport system system coped coped
Celebrating diversity: Geography at work Celebrating diversity: Geography at work
•Stories of migrants (Mo Farah) and Stories of migrants (Mo Farah) and family ethnic diversity (Jess Ennis)family ethnic diversity (Jess Ennis)•Achievement by ParalympiansAchievement by Paralympians•Awareness of disabilityAwareness of disability•Affirmation of a sense of national pride Affirmation of a sense of national pride after three decades of intense after three decades of intense globalisationglobalisation
“Sydney was the first Paralympics to treat Paralympians as equals. London was the first to treat them as heroes.”Adam Hills ‘The Last Leg’, Channel 4
We gained some new heroes
Source of photo: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/sep/01/paralympics-ellie-simmonds-defeats-rival
Not to mention a curriculum legacy
FSC ‘View Tube’ classroomThe Greenway
Questions for the future
• Duration of the Olympic ‘effect’? Will there be a similar experience to Sydney after 2000?
• Investment & sport: ‘cherry picking’ where to invest?
• Young people and participation in sport? (London’s ‘USP’)
• Benefits for low-income communities? • How to define ‘sustainability’ – is there sufficient
focus on communities and convergence?
2012 didn’t solve everything
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything That's how the light gets in.
From ‘Anthem’ (1992)
But in the words of Leonard Cohen …
Notes regarding copyright
Most photos in this presentation were taken by Bob Digby; others with permission by Peter Price, Jo Shave and Trevor Llewelyn
Permission is given to use these in non-commercial educational presentations
To seek permission to use these in commercial publications, please consult the Geographical Association