It takes the London 2012 Olympics to raise a village

Many host cities have failed to leverage their Olympic infrastructure for long-term benefits, resulting in costly and under-utilised venues. The 2004 Athens Olympics is often held responsible for the Greek economic crisis, while the 2016 Rio Olympics left behind an AUD 173 million debt. The declining number of bids for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which Paris won, reflects the challenges of hosting the event and the perceived cost to host cities.

Paris has aimed to host an economically and environmentally sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games, setting a powerful precedent for Los Angeles and Brisbane. But the success of recent efforts owes much to the groundwork laid by the London 2012 Games, which targeted its investments in new infrastructure where there was scope for continuous use. Nowhere was this more evident than the conversion of its Olympic Park into the centrepiece of a thriving community in East London.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park served as the pivotal site during the 2012 Games, providing several permanent sports facilities and the athlete's village. Investments were also made to enhance the transportation network, with a focus on rail connections and road systems. Initiatives were implemented to ensure the sustainability of the Games, marking the first instance in which an Olympic event's carbon footprint was assessed.

Remarkably, these choices preceded the Olympic Agenda 2020, and its New Norm initiative, which now makes building a sustainable legacy a key deliverable for host cities. What can we learn from the legacy of these investment decisions?

From the very beginning, the London 2012 Games were planned with sustainability in mind, embracing a clear objective to create a lasting social legacy. The masterplan for the Olympic Park was driven by what was required for the longer term, and then adjusted to accommodate the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This mindset led to the development of today's East Village, which has successfully integrated itself into the broader London community, 12 years on.

The transformation of the village was significant, especially considering the area's previous state of underdevelopment and economic disadvantage. The population of East Village today is estimated to be over 10,000 and expected to grow to over 20,000 before 2032.

As the first Olympic and Paralympics to measure its carbon footprint, low-carbon concrete was the material of choice for the construction of various venues for the London 2012 Games. According to organisers, approximately 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions were averted through the implementation of sustainable methods and material selections. This amounted to a drop of carbon emissions by 28% below what was initially expected.

In terms of zero waste, around 62% of the Olympics waste that ended up in landfill was repurposed, recycled, or composted. Furthermore, 99% of the material waste from setting up and taking down Olympic facilities, such as the basketball court, was repurposed.

Constructed to supply heating and cooling solutions for the park and neighbouring community, the Olympic Park Energy Centre utilises sustainable technologies including biomass boilers and combined cooling, heat, and power systems. These options offer a low-carbon way to maintain the legacy of environmental responsibility started by the 2012 Games.

After the Olympics, efforts were made to convert the athlete's village, which housed 17,000 athletes and visitors, from temporary lodging into a long-term community. The redevelopment of the previously undeveloped area into a bustling living space involved deliberate planning and execution of multiple approaches.

Renamed as the East Village, the residential area provides more than 2,800 houses to residents – 1,379 of which were earmarked for affordable housing. As a result, more than 6,000 people found new homes with accommodation ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom townhouses. The power of London's 2012 Games legacy is that now the city has a wide mix of affordable housing for East Londoners, offering social rent, intermediate rent, shared ownership and private sale. 

The East Village and Stratford are not only home to thousands of residents, but also a vibrant cultural hub that attracts visitors from all over the world. The area boasts various attractions, such as the University of the Arts London, one of the largest creative education institutions in Europe, Sadlers Wells Theatre Company, and ABBA Voyage. Stratford is also a place of rich diversity and multiculturalism, with over 100 languages spoken by its residents and a range of festivals, markets, and cuisines to reflect its global heritage.

Contributing to this cultural growth is the East Bank project, a GBP 1.1 billion (AUD 2.15 billion) investment in culture, education, innovation and growth that will transform the area into a world-class destination for the creative and digital industries. The project will create over 2,500 jobs, support 600 businesses and generate GBP 1.5 billion (AUD 2.93 billion) in economic value for the local community and London.

Several London 2012 Games sites, constructed using environmentally-conscious materials, are near the village and remain operational twelve years on. They include the Olympic Stadium, which was originally built with a capacity of 80,000 and now operates at 60,000+ capacity for football matches and 80,000 for concerts. The Aquatics Centre and Velodrome both operate as public fitness facilities that are open to everyone, made from sustainably-sourced timber and recycled materials.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where both the village and these venues are located, cost approximately GBP 9 billion (AUD 1.76 billion) to build and span 2.5 kilometres across the city. Today, it really is like an urban oasis with 4,000 trees and 300,000 plants, rightfully earning its status as the largest urban park in Europe.

The foundational philosophy behind the park's construction extended beyond mere nostalgia for the 2012 Games; it aimed to embed a sustainable role and continued active relevance for the local community well into the future.

Our Movement Strategies team were part of the architectural and engineering consortium that designed, developed and delivered the Olympic Park on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority. The team was also the principal crowd planning consultant for the 2012 Games, assisting with detailed design, operations planning and delivery of a secure Games through to the final day of operations for the Paralympic Games in 2012. 

Other notable achievements by our Movement Strategies team include:

• Authoring the design standards for crowd movement and safety and developed the demand forecasts for the Olympic Park, combining these into the ‘Data Book’ that became the ‘bible’ for informing and assessing the design of infrastructure and venues.
• Demand forecasting and ticketing analysis, which led to an increase in tickets on sale, subsequently generating additional revenue for the Organising Committee.
• Crowd modelling and expertise that was central to securing planning consents and safety licensing for the proposals.
• Production of dynamic crowd simulations that informed the detailed design of many of the Olympic Park’s most critical nodes, including the Pedestrian Screening Area.

The Olympic Park's construction, which came with a GBP 9 billion price tag, was offset by the estimated GBP 9.9 billion (AUD 1.94 billion) generated through trade and investment gains for the UK economy, resulting in more than 40,000 jobs being created or sustained.

Tourism also experienced a notable increase. In 2013, London welcomed 31 million tourists, marking a 20% rise over 2011 numbers. This surge was helped by the city's enhanced infrastructure and transportation network, which was developed to manage the influx of visitors during the Olympic Games.

The London 2012 Olympics, under the motto “Inspire a Generation”, indeed led to greater sports involvement from women and young people and heightened attention and reinforcement for Paralympic sports, embracing a broader and more inclusive culture.

Setting an environmentally-friendly benchmark by running on 100% renewable energy and recycling 90% of demolition waste provided a practical model for UK policy makers to create eco-friendly regulations. This established a foundation for national policy development.

London's sustainable practices serve as a template for future Olympic Games. France is refining this approach, with a focus on cost efficiency, while Los Angeles is anticipated to do the same, setting the stage for Brisbane 2032 to exceed past achievements.

Hosting the ultimate Olympic Games isn't a competition among nations, but rather a collective relay marathon where each country contributes and improves upon the last, leaving a lasting legacy for each community it visits.