The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been the catalyst for the physical transformation of a huge area of east London.
A new quarter for east London
The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been the catalyst for the physical transformation of a huge area of east London, much of which had been used by industry and landfill for centuries, and suffered years of contamination and neglect.
Long after the athletes and spectators have moved on, the Olympic Park – to be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Games – will become a fantastic new focal point for the capital.
Elite athletes and the local community will have new world-class sporting venues to train and compete in.
Visitors will enjoy the new parklands that will reconnect the communities surrounding the Park, which for years have been divided by waterways, roads and railways lines.
The Olympic and Paralympic Village will be converted into thousands of new homes for sale and rent, half of which will be affordable housing. Along with a new educational campus, a community health centre and new developments elsewhere within the Park, the Village – to be known as East Village – will form a whole new community in this part of east London.
Thinking of tomorrow, today
New transport connections and a brand new infrastructure of energy, water, telecommunications was built for the Games, but with the long-term development of the Park very much in mind – it will provide the backbone for the future development of the area.
In fact, 75p of every £1 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) spent was an investment in the long-term transformation of the area.
Raising the bar in construction
Through the construction project undertaken by the ODA, London 2012 has raised the bar for the construction industry –setting new standards in areas such as sustainability, health and safety, accessibility, and inclusivity.
The innovations and lessons learned during the London 2012 construction project are now available on the London 2012 Learning Legacy website, for other organisations to learn from and implement.
Putting safety first
The health and safety of the workforce was London 2012’s number one priority in its construction project. The ways that London 2012 made its construction project safer will be shared with the rest of the industry to leave a legacy of safer working environments.
The accident frequency rate during the construction of the main London 2012 venues and infrastructure was well above the industry average and better than the national average for all workplaces – setting a benchmark for the rest of the UK’s construction industry.
A sustainable Games
The venues have been designed to be as sustainable as possible, using innovative techniques such as light pipes to reduce energy use, brown roofs to encourage new wildlife habitats, collecting rainwater to reduce water consumption and reusing or recycling materials wherever possible.
Read more about sustainability at the Games.
A legacy for everyone
Inclusive design was at the heart of the project. For example, faith groups were among the sectors of the community consulted during the planning and design process. Following this, changes were made to the Aquatics Centre’s design to incorporate a Faith Room and single-sex areas in the changing rooms.
The Village, sporting venues, new transport services, supporting facilities and the Park itself will be accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities both during and after the Games.
Transforming attitudes
As well as transforming the landscape of east London and providing a new infrastructure for its communities, London 2012 has worked hard transform the attitudes of people in a number of areas. Through our focus on sustainability and legacy in design and construction, we have made a lasting impact on the construction and event services industries.
Meanwhile, the London 2012 Paralympic Games are helping change attitudes towards disability. The success of our Paralympic ticketing programme has opened up disability sports to a whole new audience, and events such as International Paralympic Day – held on Trafalgar Square in 2011 to help celebrate 100 days to go to the Paralympics – have helped educate people about and raise the profile of disability sport.
