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Looking for legacy : for a sustainable impact of major sports infrastructure

At a time when more and more major sports events are being planned (London 2012 Olympic Games, Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Russia, Euro 2016 in France, Rio 2016 Olympic Games, etc.), La Fabrique de la Cité/The City Factory decided to explore the potential impact of major new sports facilities on urban areas at its seminar, “Looking for Legacy: for a sustainable impact of major sports infrastructure” held in London on January 25, 2012.

This infrastructure, initially designed to host one-time events, attracts massive investment. In a period of tight budgets, when cities must devise ways of adapting to climate change while enrolling the support of local populations, it is essential to look at sports infrastructure as engines and structuring elements of an overall urban renewal plan.

Legacy management, that is, the long-term impact of major sports structures on their surroundings from an economic, social, and urban development standpoint, must be considered prior to the design phase.

This infrastructure must be able to change to keep pace with a changing society, cope with the challenges facing the city (climate change, increasing demand for mobility connected with the use of new technologies), be easily maintained in the context of tight budgets. According to John Barrow, an Architect with Populous, actors taking an active part in the life of city have a responsibility to design “honest infrastructure,” that is, infrastructure designed and developed to take into account future users and drive urban renewal, all at a reasonable cost. While designers of such infrastructure may strive for visual appeal, utility must remain the priority.

According to Damien Rajot, Stadiums Operational Director at VINCI Concessions, large stadiums are destined to become major public gathering places in the 21st century. Their development involves issues such as accessibility and the management of quasi-public spaces characterized by sporadic use. They must be designed as functional environments for daily use: at lunch-time on the stairs at Stade de France, sports activities are provided for residents, who can also take part in a huge annual picnic inside the stadium. Another initiative that favours use of the premises by the local population is demonstrated by Association Diambars: it welcomes young college and secondary school students from Seine-Saint Denis to Stade de France to acquaint them with the various multimedia tools used by sports reporters. The major events held in these “arenas” meet the need for social cohesion in the city and enhance the prestige of the local community. Stadiums, whose development often includes the construction of residential and commercial properties, have an increasingly critical role to play as a structuring force in their locality and as an impetus for urban development.

To ensure that sports structures have a useful life beyond hosting one-time events, they must be designed for the long term. In this regard, London, which will host the Olympic Games from July 27 to August 12, 2012, offers a remarkable example. Kay Hughes, Principle Design Adviser to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and Richard Brown, Strategy Director of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) made a presentation on the ways in which the Olympic Park will progressively blend into London’s urban fabric after the Games. It is a matter of redeveloping East London, a former industrial hub, and fostering its connection to the rest of the city, thereby promoting its renewal.

The case of London illustrates four key issues for a sustainable impact of major sports infrastructure on urban areas: economic viability of the project; early involvement of local communities; development of infrastructure eco-design based on business activity integration; and a governance structure that combines master planning, design, and legacy, which is overseen by the OPLC, in conjunction with the ODA.

As pointed out by Bridget Rosewell, Consultant Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater London Authority (GLA), the question of funding infrastructure is a central consideration in all discussions. In this regard, public-private partnerships merit further study. New relationships are being forged between project managers, programme managers and builders, but public-private partnerships are indisputably one way to meet "legacy" requirements. The public-private partnership covers design, construction and management. The design-build entity is aware from the start that it will ultimately be called upon to manage the structure. Public-private partnerships are becoming a crucial way to ensure legacy.

Finally, the issue of infrastructure’s flexibility, both in terms of design and operation, is central. London’s Olympic Stadium includes 55,000 temporary seats; its capacity will be reduced to 25,000 seats after the Games. In addition to London, there are other examples of such forward-looking design and development, for example, of the 12 stadiums that will be built in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, 6 will be dismantled after the event.

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