Overview

Officially recognized as “Games of the XXX Olympiad”, the Summer Olympics of 2012 will take place in the city of London, United Kingdom. With this, London is set to become the first city in history to host the Olympic Games thrice; having done so in the years 1908 and 1948.

The city got the opportunity to host the games when it beat New York, Paris, Madrid and Moscow in the bidding process in the 117th Session of the International Olympic Committee held in the year 2005. This has resulted in the development of many of London’s suburbs and sports facilities.

The development plans laid down for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London included developments in the local public transport, the venues which will be hosting certain events, the events’ schedule, the ticketing process and the development of the logo. The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) is the chief government body responsible for the co-ordination of the games. It is a unit within the DCMS and reports to the Minister of Sports and the Olympics.

Sporting Venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in numerous venues around London. These include existing venues, historic venues and temporary venues built for hosting chosen events. However, the British government has decided not to create any white elephants for themselves after facing the Millennium Dome disaster. Instead, the government has planned a concept called “2012 Legacy”, which includes environmental, cultural, sporting and economic benefits. The newly constructed Olympic facilities will be either reduced in size or will be relocated for some other purpose.

In order to construct certain venues, the government had to purchase numerous pieces of land and had to destroy numerous housing facilities. This demolition and acquisition has led to many controversies with the previous owners complaining that they weren’t compensated properly. Facilities like the Manor Garden Allotments and the Clays Lane Housing Estate were demolished, causing an enormous outcry from tenants.

Developments in Public Transport Facilities

When London initially placed a bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, the IOC declared that the public transport facilities in London were below par. However, after London won the bid in 2005, Transport for London has introduced numerous changes and betterments in the existing transport system. A new line named the “The Olympic Javelin” will be introduced in order to link the Olympic venues together. The North London Line and the Docklands Light Railway will witness upgrades. TfL has also proposed the construction of a cable car between the Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsula in order to cut the duration of journeys between the ExCel Exhibition Center and the O2 Arena. All these developments will ensure that athletes will reach their respective venues faster and numerous spectators will be transported to the Olympic venues at the same time.