Infrastructure Looking to the Future
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 5
14 July - 10 August 2008 ]
How China handles its impressive new Olympic infrastructure both during the Games and after the athletes have gone home is also under scrutiny according to Dr Hao Wu of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning.
Dr Wu says the proper operation and management of Olympic sports facilities after the Games has been a challenge for previous host cities.
“If the investment in Games-related infrastructure such as sports stadiums cannot be returned properly, the host city may suffer delayed development and reduced living standards.
“For example, the 1976 Montreal Olympics received only five per cent of the expected return from its facility investment – the financial burden lasted until 2006.
“The Beijing government has allocated very significant amounts of funds to the Olympics-related sports facility and infrastructure, with 32 new and renovation projects, together with substantial upgrade in the transport system and the extension of the Beijing International Airport. All on a scale that has been rarely seen in past host cities.”
Despite the risks, Dr Wu says Beijing has every reason to be confident that the massive urban development undertaken in the lead up to August will be a success for the city.
“In the past, Beijing’s urban development has had close links with major sports events. Hosting the Asian Games in Beijing in the 1980s directly led to the rapid development of the Chao Yang District (a main district in north-east Beijing).
“Olympics preparation and urban regeneration or development has become an integrated process and has become a popular approach in mature market economies to utilise the Olympics to facilitate urban regeneration. Sydney’s Homebush Bay is a good recent example.”
Dr Wu is also certain that there will be no shortage of use of the facilities after the Games, something that Sydney has struggled with at times.
“Beijing’s permanent population exceeds 13 million and is experiencing a seven per cent annual increase in the number of tourists since 2001, which should go higher again after the Games if Sydney is any example (Sydney had a five per cent increase in international visitors post the Games.)
“Beijing’s geographical and climate characteristics restrict the options of local residents’ sports and leisure activities. Unlike Sydney, alternative sports and leisure destinations such as the beach and well-equipped city or suburban parklands are not popular.
“Given the limited choices in Beijing, the sports stadiums, the Olympic Park and associated facilities are likely to meet the city’s sport, leisure and entertainment space demand and will also play a key role in attracting visitors from neighbouring states and countries,” says Dr Wu.
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