The 2012 Olympics and What It Means for London

The venue of the 2012 Summer Olympics was officially awarded to the city of London during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore July 6, 2005. No less than Prime Minister Tony Blair was present during the official announcement in Singapore.

Since winning the 2005 bid, London has been up to its neck in preparing for the games, officially called the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

London has a lot to be excited about - being the next Olympic venue entails a major economic development in terms of tourism and infrastructure development as well as job generation and transportation systems expansion.

Rising infrastructure

Indeed, as early as 2004, plans for the Olympic Park were already unveiled as part of London's bid. Standing on a 500-acre property that was developed specifically for the games, the Olympic Park will have a hockey centre, a handball arena, an aquatic centre, a water polo arena, a basketball arena, a BMX circuit, and the Olympic Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held. You will also find in the park the Velodrome for track cycling and the Eton Manor, where the wheelchair tennis games will be held.

It is expected that the Olympic Stadium alone would be a major attraction in itself, as it is designed to seat up to 80,000 spectators from all the around the world.

Tourism is expected to rise in the months to come; even now, daily walking tours are being offered to the public by Blue Badge tourist guides, the official professional tour guides in the United Kingdom.

The guided walking tour leaves from the Bromley-by-Bow tube station just before noon and covers the area around the Olympic Park. Although construction is still on-going, the improved Greenway walking and cycle paths provide an ideal vantage point for curious tourists to see much of the park.

Along with the Olympic Park, the adjacent property - Westfield Stratford City shopping centre - is also being developed as part of the overall blueprint of the infrastructure preparations for the 2012 Olympics.

The mall complex will be the main access point to the Olympic Park. It houses more than 300 retail shops, 70 restaurants, cinemas, hotels, and the largest casino in the United Kingdom.

This new commercial establishment has created around 10,000 jobs, with 2,000 going directly to locals.

Transportation upgrades

Transportation modernisation has been among the priorities in preparing for the games.

It is said one of the factors that won London its bid is its plans of modernising its transport system. Public transport in London will be expanded. The East London line, which used to be part of the London Underground, has already been extended to make it part of the overground network. The Docklands Light Railway is likewise being upgraded.

To directly transport commuters from St. Pancras International to the Olympic Park, a high speed shuttle train - the Olympic Javelin - will be put up. And of course, London minicabs will be as ready as ever to serve.

Almost half a million tourists, athletes, and spectators are expected to come for the Olympics. This is a huge opportunity for generating both private and public income before, during, and even after the games. And with the upgrades in the transport system and the other infrastructure developments the upcoming event has catalysed, there is no doubt the legacy of the Olympic Games will be felt in London long after 2012.