The Greatest Show On Earth – London 2012
Urban Times is proud to present its London Olympics 2012 feature series. From now until the Games in July and August this year we will be taking an in-depth look at all things Olympic, from the sportspeople and the event planners, to the wider impact on London and the UK, to similar world-class events.
Olympic Park. Aerial view looking south through the parklands (Source: Anthony Charlton/ODA, London 2012 Image Library)
London’s Olympics
Six months from tomorrow, all eyes will be on London. On 27 July 2012, the Opening Ceremony will take place at Olympic Stadium in East London, welcoming athletes from 205 countries to the world’s 30th Summer Olympics – and kicking off a two-week-long party in the capital.
London is no stranger to the Games, this year marking the third time the city plays host. Significant planning has been undertaken since the city beat out Madrid in the final bidding round in 2005, and the 2012 Olympics are eagerly anticipated.
The Sustainable Games
Sustainable fabric 'wrap' design that will encircle London's iconic Olympic Stadium (Source: Populous, London 2012 Image Library)
They’ve been billed as the first “sustainable” or “green” Games. A key part of the original bid proposal was a promise of sustainability, based on five key priorities: climate change, waste, biodiversity, inclusion and healthy living. Capitalising on this aspect could set the London Olympics apart from previous Games, and provide best practice examples for future large-scale events. Can London deliver?
“Sustainability is a key part of London 2012 and we’re looking forward to a truly sustainable Games. From construction to how we will stage the Games, we’re constantly looking at ways to ensure we’re setting new standards in how major events are staged.”
- Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG)
The London Olympics 2012 Series from Urban Times
Over the next six months, we will be covering the Olympics from a variety of angles, including a focus on this year’s Games (the sportspeople, the designers, the planners, related activities) as well as the impact of hosting the Olympics on London and the United Kingdom more broadly.
The 2012 Olympics also gives us an opportunity to reflect on past Games and similar world events, and to peer into the future to imagine what we might expect beyond 2012. Stay tuned!
Are you looking forward to the Olympics?
[...] out my introduction to the series here. Let me know in the comments section if there’s anything in particular you’re keen to [...]
[...] Olympic motto encapsulates the aspirational nature of the four-yearly event, in which the world’s top [...]
[...] original Olympic Games were a four-yearly event, which gathered together athletes from all over the Greek world. [...]
This will be a great feature series! Thanks! Please suggest what will be the best way to follow this topic specifically.
Thanks Mark. Either follow us on twitter: twitter.com/theurbantimes or Facebook.com/theurbantimes
Equally, you can add the RSS feed for this series to whichever reader you may use with this link:
feed://www.theurbn.com/category/feature/london-olympics-2012/feed/rss/
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[...] as a way to take advantage of the city’s existing resources and the downtown location of the stadium, knowing it was counter to the previous [...]
[...] as a way to take advantage of the city’s existing resources and the downtown location of the stadium, knowing it was counter to the previous [...]