Being the host of the Summer Olympic Games is a privilege and an opportunity for a city and a nation to spark economic growth. London, the host of the 2012 Olympic Games, plans to do more than just that. The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games is a company that is in charge of handling private sector investments and public sector funding. The public funding is provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. They are using this opportunity to develop a struggling part of London into a sustainable community that will thrive off of the new infrastructure developed around Olympic Park for many years to come. Accordingly, the focus of all planning and construction is on the ‘legacy’ of the Olympic Games in East London.
Based on England’s grasp of sustainability, I expect the new Olympic venues to harness some of the most sustainable qualities and innovations available. Further than using new ‘green’ materials and technologies, the concepts behind the planning and future of the Olympic sites make it a wholesome sustainable project. The underlying sustainable mentality was based on reusing existing venues when possible, creating permanent structures only where they will be kept for long-term use, and using temporary structures for anything that will be taken down after the games.
In general, the sustainability plan focuses on climate change, biodiversity, waste, inclusion of local community, and healthy living. All of these aspects are considered when designing and planning. It is exciting to learn about all of the new projects and the sustainable development of such a large area and population. The Sustainable Construction Blog will share many posts including details of the construction project and analysis of how London is implementing the sustainability plan into these projects.
The results of this project should provide inspiration to the rest of the world as a model of sustainability.
