Olympic Park Case Study

The industrial revolution was such an important part of British history that it was even included in the opening ceremony of the Summer 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, where there were scenes of rural areas transformed into industrial areas with many dancers representing workers in the factories.

Like in the opening ceremony, the real-life industrial revolution shaped Stratford. However, the reality of the area was that it was one of the most deprived areas in England due to the deindustrialisation that came after the industrial revolution. With this in mind, the Olympic Park was not only seen as a space to host the Olympics and Paralympics but as an opportunity to improve the area with the transformations. We will be looking into this case study in more detail right now.

Olympic Park case study London

The Olympic Park, renamed Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Olympics and Paralympics, was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It is now the largest urban park in the UK, with it being around the size of 300 football pitches and is open 24 hours.

It is a case study of how events like the Olympics and Paralympics were an opportunity to not only showcase London internationally and attract visitors from all over the world but also a chance to use the budget to host the Olympics and Paralympics in the area that was hosting them.

During his time as the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said the below, showing the potential of hosting the Olympics.

Fig. 1 - Scene of the industrial revolution during the opening ceremony of the Olympics 2012

Olympic Park case study urban regeneration

The Olympic Park was built over Stratford, Bow, Leyton, and Hackney Wick. These areas were chosen because they were in need of urban regeneration as they were more deprived compared to other regions in the UK.

There were four areas of focus for urban regeneration:

1. Economic
2. Education and sports
3. Social
4. Regeneration.

Economic benefits

£180 million were invested into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the expectation of attracting 1.5 million additional visitors to London and producing $3.5 billion worth of economic value to Stratford. The International Quarter, a business development housing companies such as Transport for London and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) bring the total number of jobs in the area to 25,000.

Education and sports benefits

Education, well-being, and sports benefits began with the park's design. Putting the development in the middle of the park encourages workers and residents to use the cycling and walking trails and the leisure and sporting facilities for a healthier and more creative place to live. After the games, the London Aquatics Centre was made accessible and affordable for the public to use. The Olympic Stadium was redeveloped to hold ticketed events such as London Grand Prix Athletics events and facilitate school sports.

Social benefits

The Olympic Park had many social benefits, including housing, a new school, health centres, business spaces, and sports venues. Chobham Academy, a school for students aged 3-18, was able to open in the East Village. The Olympic Media Centre has been redeveloped as the "East London Tech City" and "Here East", a place for start-up hubs for flexible spaces for art and design companies.

Fig. 2 - Aerial view of Chobham Academy

Regeneration benefits

After the games, the temporary venues were removed, and existing infrastructures were changed to become more permanent structures. The Olympic Village was converted into 2,800 flats and apartments, and new developments such as The International Quarter will provide 7,000 additional homes on the edge of the park. It is not just residential buildings being developed; the East Bank is set to be a new cultural quarter. The Victoria and Albert museum is building a new museum, and the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company is opening a new theatre. Furthermore, educational institutions such as the University College London plan to build a campus catering to 4,000 students.

Olympic Park case study challenges

Although there were benefits and intentions of regenerating and making the areas less deprived, the Olympic Park came with a set of challenges.

Economic challenges

Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games has historically been related to spending a lot of money. The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were no different. The Olympic Stadium was estimated to cost £701 million, three times the original estimate. This angered the public as the money also came from taxpayers.

Education and sports challenges

The Olympic Stadium is home to the Premier League football club, West Ham United F.C. However, it is costing Londoners 8 to £10 million a year. The reason being the stadium lost value by £381 million between 2014 and 2020 and cannot make a profit as estimated.

Fig. 3 - The Olympic Stadium, home to West Ham United F.C. since 2016

Businesses were relocated to make space for the Olympic Park. People also had to relocate; 425 residents of the Clays Lane Estate, a housing estate that was demolished to make way for the park, were forced to relocate. During the construction of the park, not many jobs went to the local residents, it was seen as a missed opportunity of training people, and there were still high unemployment rates in the area. Furthermore, the construction jobs were only temporary.

Regeneration challenges

The reality of the Athletes Village being regenerated to East Village to create new housing and affordable housing for local residents was unaffordable. Affordable rent was seen as 80% of the market rent by the government. However, housing in the Olympic area is possible for people with an annual income of £60,000 to £90,000 when the average income for local residents is around £27,000. The understanding of 'affordable' is questionable as local residents cannot afford to live in East Village, which is a prime example of gentrification.

Olympic Park environmental case study

In the bid for the Summer 2012 Olympics, one of the main points that were pushed was the sustainable use of the venues after the Olympics.

Sustainable environment

Particular care was taken in rejuvenating the original industrial brownfield site of 560 acres. Before construction, the Olympic Delivery Authority cleaned more than 2.3 million cubic meters of contaminated soil.

The water quality in the River Lea that runs through the Olympic Park was also improved, and green areas were placed alongside the river. With sustainability and biodiversity in mind, vegetation suited to an urban environment was chosen, and 4,000 trees were planted.

Furthermore, for construction, sustainability was the way forward. Materials for the buildings were transported by trains instead of lorries as they have a lower carbon footprint. 90% of the material by weight that arose from demolition work was to be reused or recycled, including bricks, steel frames, and stone paving. The stadium was made of at least 25% of recycled materials.

The athletes used electric vehicles, and 120 charging stations were placed, becoming the UK's most extensive network of charging points. These charging stations are used today for emission-free travel.

Olympic Park case study assessment

The success of the Olympic Park is assessed in many different ways; one way was the ambitions and targets set by the government. This was done by comparing indicators of the London average on topics such as creating wealth and reducing poverty, supporting healthier lifestyles, and developing thriving neighbourhoods in the areas where the Olympic Park is situated. When looking at the indices, creating wealth and reducing poverty seemed to meet targets. However, the other areas were not meeting targets.

Looking at the success of the Olympic Park from the point of view of the local residents may give another result. With the gentrification of the area and the promises of "affordable" housing, it seems to benefit some people, not all.