2024-07-19 08:58:15
In 2012, the British capital hosted the Olympic Games, given in 2005. From the beginning of the project, London was eager to avoid the fate of the infrastructure in Athens, for example. And the Olympics are considered a huge success, costing more than 10 billion euros.
At the turn of the millennium, the Stratford area of east London was full of abandoned factories, dry houses and dirty marshes. Twenty years and an Olympiad later, the site is unrecognizable.
« We are right in front of the entrance to the future Sadler’s Well Theatre, which will host a hip-hop academy, said Mark Robinson, director of external affairs at the London Legacy Centre. Next to it, you see the BBC Music studios which will open in 2025, 2026. And in between, there is the University of Arts London, the campus of the Faculty of Fashion, which welcomes 6,500 students and professors. ».
A variety of varieties
The Olympic Stadium today hosts West Ham football club. And the aquatic center allows 10,000 children to learn to swim. So many adults work today on the site, which turned into a bubble of green.
« We have reached the house and 6 km of rivers in the park. describes Mark Robinson. We have lots of biodiversity: there are kingfishers and even an otter that comes to swim! »
Revitalizing Stratford and the surrounding area was the promise The Olympic Games from London. Not necessarily to the greatest happiness of the inhabitants. ” “I’m an avid rider,” said Andrew Kirschmann, who moved to the neighborhood 25 years ago. ».
« What I miss is the racing track. The new song does not have the same character and has been placed in local gardens. But the new buildings are so high that we don’t have enough light anymore. People who love the nature of evil can’t help but feel that something is missing ».
A thousand houses out of the 30,000 that were promised
More than a thousand houses have emerged from the ruins of the industrial zone. This is far from the promised 30,000, and above all they do not benefit the communities much, Max Nathan, assistant professor of urban sciences at the University explained. “ There are more houses than before, but most of the apartments are apartments, two-story houses, intended for “cool” people, the upper middle class, rather than the rich. Only 10 to 11% of housing is actually affordable relative to local incomes ».
“The results are very ambiguous”
« This brings in visitors, but drives others away, explains Max Nathan. The Olympics created jobs, but they were mostly specialized and one-off jobs. This is great for property owners, much less for renters. From an economic and statistical point of view, the results are very ambiguous. “
As for health benefits: no study has shown an increase in sports activity following the London Olympics.
#Twelve #years #results #London #Olympic #Games