It’s hard to believe the London Olympics took place more than a decade ago. As a Londoner who moved to New York in 2009, I ended up watching the occasion on TV. But seeing the city showcase itself at its best to the world with London pride and passion flowing was one of the first times homesickness and nostalgia truly hit me.
Ten years on, the games are more than just a fond memory for people in London. They left a permanent impression on London’s built environment with new developments revitalizing parts of the city and weaving into the fabric of where people work and live.
A LASTING LEGACY
A prime example is Stratford, situated in the London borough of Newham, where the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park transformed large brownfield industrial sites into a modern, sustainable, and vibrant urban district.
This houses not only the Olympic Stadium—now home to soccer team West Ham United—but also the innovation hub, Here East. The hub grew out of the broadcast and media center for the Olympics, and over a decade later, it has brought over 6,000 jobs and £600 million GDP into East London. There’s also Plexal, Here East’s resident innovation center and coworking space, which has become a massive hub for investors, startups, and scaleups.
Stratford also benefited from a concentration of new public transport links through the expansion of the Jubilee and DLR tube lines in addition to over 11,000 new homes that were built, and the 2022 completion of the sleek, express Elizabeth line. A slew of new future-facing developments planned for Stratford demonstrate the area continues to build on the spark ignited by the Olympics. And after a brief hiatus due to COVID, The MLB London Series returned in 2023 to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals playing in front of thousands (Full disclosure: Here East, Plexal, MSG Entertainment, and MLB are partners of London & Partners).
LARGE-SCALE SUSTAINABILITY
The 2012 games also set a standard on how to run events of this scale sustainably. The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 concluded in its post-games report that they broadly achieved the goal of being the “greenest games ever” by sending zero waste to landfills and ensuring 70% of waste was reused, recycled, or composted.
Since then, London has made great strides in ensuring its historic building stock attains higher levels of energy efficiency while also implementing strict measures that all new construction be to zero carbon standards and in line with circular economy principles. London 2012 put sustainability at the core of its bid alongside promoting cultural diversity, inclusion, and healthy lifestyle, and successful hosts have been following this approach ever since.
Overall, the legacy of the 2012 Olympics is that it was an opportunity to make a positive ongoing impact on the lives of everyday Londoners. The event created a new world-class district to launch and scale a business, expand transport infrastructures, and define a sustainability roadmap.
WHAT LONDON CAN TEACH FUTURE OLYMPIC CITIES
So, what can future Olympic cities learn from London’s example of how to run sustainable games with an impactful legacy?
1. REPURPOSE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
First, cities should embrace the ability to repurpose spaces and infrastructure that are already staples of their communities. This can not only help reduce costs, but can also bring an element of authenticity to the games on behalf of the host city.
It’s a privilege to be able to host the games, so city leaders should leverage what makes them unique. On top of being a tourism driver, this strategy also helps with sustainability goals as the greenest construction is where buildings are repurposed rather than torn down and rebuilt.
LA is fortunate enough to be able to repurpose some of its 1984 Olympics infrastructure already, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, USC’s baseball stadium Dedeaux Field, and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
2. IMPROVE FOR RESIDENTS TOO
Secondly, cities should use the games as a motivator to improve their cities not only for the tourists who will naturally flock in, but for their long-term residents as well.
A great place to start is improving public transit infrastructure and even considering expansion. Naturally, this assists with all the extra foot traffic the games will bring, but more accessible transport developments can also help cities move toward a more “people-centric built environment” or a smarter global city.
LA aims to complete 28 infrastructure projects by the start of the games, including numerous new subway routes and a much-needed one to LAX that should spur investment for the city as a whole. I personally took the E-line extension during my visit and was impressed with the speed and ease of travel—definitely preferable to being stuck in traffic!
3. USE THE GAMES AS A DRIVER OF UNITY
Another way cities can naturally look to improve using the Olympics as a driver is by further assisting those in need to unite as a community. Pride and unity are essential elements of the Olympics, but community leaders should ensure this is not just limited to star athletes. Implementing programs ahead of the games to help those less fortunate can help drive long-term social change.
This is a key priority for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who will couple this with an emphasis on affordable housing through her Inside Safe initiative. Hosting the Olympics has been part of the catalyst for this push for social change, but it’s something city leaders should carry out well after the games have concluded.
Overall, I’m excited about how Paris and LA can leverage the games for their respective Olympic legacies. I visited Los Angeles in July, and it is clear they are looking to follow London’s example in 2028. Their current vision makes me optimistic they will utilize the games for the city’s long-term benefit. Hopefully, residents will look back fondly on the games a decade later as a platform that showcased the best of the city, brought people together, and set a roadmap for ambitious and sustainable development.
As Head of North America at London & Partners, Stephen helps NA businesses looking to scale into London and London-based companies into NA.