Land remediation, event spaces and the pursuit of Olympic legacy

Abstract

This paper explores the links between remediating land for Olympic event spaces and the pursuit of legacy. In particular, it considers ways in which redevelopment of the sizeable spaces prepared for staging the event take their place in broader strategies intended to bring long-term benefits to the host city and society in order to compensate for the costs and inconvenience originally incurred in hosting the Games. There are six main sections. The first analyses the diverse nature of brownfield land and highlights salient characteristics of its remediation for use in urban regeneration. The second supplies background to Olympic legacy and indicates the importance of the changing climate of ideas in understanding the formulation of legacy over the past two decades. The third section documents the role of remediation as an option employed recently by Games' organisers when needing to find spaces of suitable size to stage the Olympics, noting how choosing remediation ab initio involves commitment to legacy. The fourth and fifth parts analyse approaches to implementing remediation, with respect to the key event spaces for two of the twenty-first century's Summer Games: Homebush Bay, which housed the Olympic Park for Sydney 2000; and the Lower Lea Valley, which served the same function for London 2012. The final section provides commentary on the wider narratives of transformation associated with deployment of remediated sites for Olympic event spaces and indicates the significance of the values that have underpinned those narratives.

The future of mega-events, post-COVID-19 pandemic:

“…In recent decades, mega-events 'seem to hold the potential and the capacity to achieve the necessary transformation' in host cities-especially those with declining economies or deteriorating urban spaces (Roult & Lefebvre, 2013). Gold and Gold (2020) further consolidated the links between remediating land for Olympic event spaces and pursuing a legacy. Chen (2015) examined how host cities have explored the Summer Olympic Games for urban transformation.…”

Tokyo 2020 Olympics sustainability: An elusive concept or reality?

“…Findings indicated that although Rio promised sustainable development in the area, there was a significant disconnect between the environmental sustainability promises and achievements. Similarly, Gold and Gold (2020) investigated the links between remediating land for the construction of Olympic venues and pursuing a legacy. They concluded that more comprehensive strategies are needed if the goal is to achieve long-term benefits to the host city and community.…”

“…More specifically, the plan for the IOC (as the governing body of the Olympics) regarding sustainability is to ensure that both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are the leader in sustainability initiatives (Müller et al, 2021). In 2021, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were held after a year of postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic (Triantafyllidis, 2020). Consequently, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games brought the world together in times of two crises: the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the delay and nearly the cancelation of the Games, and climate change, which forced athletes and spectators to suffer in 40°C heat (Müller et al, 2021; Triantafyllidis, 2020).…”

“…In 2021, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were held after a year of postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic (Triantafyllidis, 2020). Consequently, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games brought the world together in times of two crises: the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the delay and nearly the cancelation of the Games, and climate change, which forced athletes and spectators to suffer in 40°C heat (Müller et al, 2021; Triantafyllidis, 2020).…”