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London 2012

Nationwide: will the Games benefit the whole UK?

This lesson focuses on whether the Games can be sustainable in terms of environmental impact and in terms of delivering a long lasting legacy benefit at a variety of scales.

Key questions:

  • Is the Olympics a national event?
  • How will people from outside the capital travel to the Olympics?
  • How will the rest of Britain benefit?

Key Concepts:

Scale
Human processes
Space
Interdependence

 

 

Is Olympics a National Event?
Almost all of the Olympic events are being staged within London.  The challenge for Games organisers is to make the games a national event that people from all over the country can visit and enjoy. Weymouth and Portland Harbour will be the venue for Sailing and Paralympic Sailing and UK-wide Football stadia will host Football  

How will people from outside London travel to the Olympics?
The aim of the Games organisers is to make the games 100% accessible by public transport.  The Docklands light railway and London Underground’s East London line are being upgraded to allow easy access to Stratford and the Olympic site.  A new ‘Javelin Train’ service running from Kings Cross St. Pancreas station to Stratford will carry 25 000 people an hour and take 7 minutes (the journey currently takes about 30 minutes).  This new high speed train link will allow passengers from the Midlands and north of England entering London to be at the Olympic Park within minutes.  The Javelin service will also operate between Stratford and the Channel Tunnel rail link at Ebbsfleet in Kent, allowing visitors from mainland Europe to travel directly to the Olympic Park without traveling through central London.  A park and ride system will also be in place from outside the M25 bringing in spectators to the Olympic site without causing travel problems.

 

How will the rest of Britain benefit?
Events such as the Olympics often generate economic benefits at a larger scale than the local or regional through infrastructure improvements and inward investment. This is called the multiplier effect. Tourism throughout the UK and construction industries are set to benefit in the short and long term respectively.  After the Games, four arenas, three 50m swimming pools and the water polo pools will be disassembled and rebuilt in other parts of the UK. All the sports equipment used will also be donated to UK sports clubs and charities. 

 

Click on an activity:
Starter
Main activity 1
Main activity 2
Plenary

Interactive:
Sporting Places and Spaces

 

 

 

Downloads:
How do people travel from outside London?

Will the Games benefit Britain?

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