A Geographers’ guide to London’s ‘summer of sport’
This section written before the Olympics started...
A lot of schools are likely to be teaching about the London Olympics (and the Paralympics ??) through the Summer term of 2012.
As of 16th July 2012, the athletes started arriving and moving into the Olympic village.
And as the Olympics lane opened on the A4 on the same day: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174218/Rush-hour-chaos-A4-Olympic-lane-opens.html there was a 30 odd mile queue because it took a lane out of one of the busiest ‘A’ roads in the country at peak time, and some of the athletes weren’t impressed: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174308/London-2012-Olympic-athletes-vent-fury-Twitter-bus-struggles-to-Games-village.html
There are plenty of supporting resources on the GA’s website (and in recent issues of the association’s journals), the Guardian Teacher Network and many other locations
e.g.
http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/planetsport/london2012
The Guardian has also added a rather nice interactive page with 3D panoramas of the main venues on the Olympics Park: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/interactive/2012/jul/17/olympics-2012-architecture
It has also featured in the OCR GCSE and Edexcel ‘A’ level examinations as a focus for assessment in the Summer 2012 exam season.
Many reams of cardboard will doubtless be turned into ‘Top Trumps’...
Inspired and reminded by Noel Jenkins, it’s clear that there is a need for some alternative, more ‘critical’ views of the event. So much has been written about the legacy, the regeneration, the glory of the opening ceremony. Less has been written about the alternative geographies of the Olympics...
During the World Cup in South Africa, there were many stories of local stall-holders who had to close their businesses as they clearly couldn’t pay for the official licensing that local organisers had put in place. This corporate involvement, along with the huge sums of money involved have their issues. There are people becoming wealthy from the games, and billions of pounds of public money are being spent, with less private financing than was promised. There have also been additional issues for the surrounding communities. The divisive nature of the developments for people who have had to put up with years of inconvenience are significant.
I visited the Olympics park in April 2012, and some images that I took are available for anyone to use (with CC attribution) from my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographypages/sets/72157629483999890/
This document is not intended to be unduly negative or ‘critical’ in that sense, but to suggest some alternative lesson contexts to the existing focus on the competing nations, the regeneration of London and the other ‘geographies of sport’ that are possible. There are themes including sustainability, transport, air quality, security, globalisation, manufacturing and various other aspects.
Many millions will of course gain tremendous pleasure (and employment) from the games, which will be the pinnacle of their careers. The world will look to Britain to put on a good show. Already, many people (including my wife and children) have gained tremendous enjoyment from the torch relay. Will their expectations be exceeded ? Or will there be plenty of Olympidiocy ?
Excitement is certainly building as the games approach and the park comes together (some pictures on the 15th of July from Ollie O’ Brien: http://blog.oobrien.com/2012/07/15/olympic-park-coming-together/ ) and this article from Reuters describes the transformation of the park, which involved Tim Smit of the Eden Project:
Also worth visiting the Hodder Geography Nest to read the posts from July’s guest blogger John Widdowson: an Urban Geography who lives near the Olympic Park and has watched it develop for the last six years...
http://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/Schools/Nests/Hodder_Geography_Subject_Nest/blog_geography/Geography_Blog/July-2012/Dream-on_geography.aspx - features a look at the omiprescent branding in the Olympic Park
And of course, we are all Olympic Sponsors as our taxes paid a bigger chunk of it than any of the major sponsors. Did you know that OXO sponsored the London games of 1908:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18782392
The legacy is already beginning to take shape, with a whole lot of new role models, as well as gold painted post boxes.
Possible ideas for further enquiry
1. ‘The Guardian’ introduces the idea of how licensing may well impact on those who want to use the term ‘Olympics’ - it’s not even a good idea to use the famous Olympics rings. I don’t think the GA has been given permission, so more generic pictures are used on the website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/17/london-2012-londinium-mmxii-olympics?CMP=twt_gu
Read this before reading the rest of this document.
There have been lots of humorous tweets, such as someone who said they were fined because they were eating Cheerios and they lined up in a particular way.
2. There was also a story about the way that venues are going to have to cover up existing sponsorship, as they were not the ‘official’ sponsors. This means that Lords has to serve Heineken - hardly a fine English Ale for those visitors arriving from around the world with their cultural images of an English pub, a cheery manciple and a tankard of foaming nut-brown ale:
Heineken apparently has “sole pouring rights” - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9204954/Are-you-drinking-what-were-drinking.html
What other rights has LOCOG sold off ?
Here’s an interesting BBC article on the 1908 Olympics and sponsorship - it seems that sponsorship has been around for a long time, and Coca Cola have been involved for a long time too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18874030 (see no. 17)
Good set by Keir Clarke of the ‘billboardisation’ of Stratford...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43198845@N00/sets/72157630726829726/
3. A tweet by Charlie Brooker about Thames Water being the ‘official tap-water of the games’ was amusing, and got to the point of the issue (see no. 17)
4. There has been some ongoing issue with the sailing in Portland, which included local businesses being affected, and (apparently) the fencing off of a sea view ! This is fairly cynical. Noel Jenkins made a short and pointed video about some of the local issues a few years ago, and it can be seen here on VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/3274736
The Southwest Regional Development Agency own the development site of Osprey Quay on Portland, which is the site for the Olympic sailing events in 2012.
A local boat-building business is being evicted by the SWRDA to clear land for an Olympic car park, and a post 2012 property development site. The business itself is one of the most innovative boat-building companies in the world, and relies on its waterside location at Portland harbour for research and development purposes.
Surely it's the responsibility of SWRDA to look after the interests of small businesses? This is a regeneration area that is supposed to be providing opportunities for business. Why haven't they provided alternative premises for the displaced company?
5. Some of the countries that are going to send athletes, and gain the TV focus of billions don’t have very good backgrounds when it comes to civil rights and the way that they deal with those who might voice public dissent.
Naming no names...
Some of these issues have been discussed in the run-up to the games.
6. A Spectator article on the way that London is ‘separate’ from the rest of the UK:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/7779258/another-country.thtml
What will the experience of those who come to the city be like as ‘representative’ of England
Also check out the work of Danny Dorling in this respect, and the work of Ben Hennig, with his recent new UK mapping for the Jubilee.
I’ve no doubt he’ll be producing further maps as the games approach...
7. Ask students where the word ‘Paralympics’ comes from - do they say it’s because the athletes are ‘paralysed’ ? What is the origin of the name ? Why does it get far less coverage, or will London continue the move to change this.
The Olympics are being shown wall-to-wall ‘across’ (as they now say) the BBC, but the Paralympics will be on Channel 4, which will mean less coverage and less of an audience. Thanks to Angus Willson for that suggestion.
8. This PE resource from Traid Craft schools is a good one, and has cross-curricular appeal: http://www.traidcraftschools.co.uk/teaching_learning_resources/a_world_of_difference_resources/PE - I like the idea of changing the rules depending on where the athletes are from...
A similar resource for Maths teachers was produced as part of a recent event at the International School of Toulouse. It uses the Gapminder tool, which is a great way to explore the differences within the competing nations too:
http://www.teachmaths-inthinking.co.uk/activities/olympic-circles.htm
A nice idea there, and worth using in the classroom.
9. A lot has been made of the manufacturing of the sportswear worn by athletes on Team GB, and also the merchandising - this has not supported British industry, or created jobs in manufacturing as it might have done.
Various newspapers have provided the percentages for how much of the merchandising was produced in the UK - this could be used to produce an infographic for further discussion. Explore the Follow the Things project website for more on these issues and to request your free Follow the Things shopping bag: http://www.followthethings.com
Image: Ian Cook
It’s also worth checking out War on Want materials on the alleged use of sweatshops to produce merchandise by companies like Adidas. There is a range of resources to download for free from their website at: http://www.waronwant.org/olympics-materials
Early in July, there were some activists working on exploring the issue of wages in Adidas.
Stickers saying 34p on them were placed on Adidas products. This seemed to be quite a successful campaign.
Even in the week of the opening ceremony there were other stories circulating about the sweatshops which were making the rather scary Wenlock and Mandeville mascots of the games...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/24/locog-mascots-china-factories-sweatshop-conditions
and
An illustrated report on the protests can be read here: http://www.waronwant.org/olympics-blog/17607-adidas-rocked-by-price-tag-protest-over-workers-rights
10. The sustainability of the games has to be questioned. It’s inevitable that the impact will be global, and that includes the negatives as well as the positives. How could this be reduced ?
The billions watching on TV will all have an impact of some kind. The millions of additional journeys will add to that.
The term sustainability is one which geographers will realise is easy to talk about, but harder to achieve in practice.
I wonder how much memorabilia will remain unsold and what will happen to it ?
We’ve been told so often that it’s about the LEGACY of the games.
The NO London 2012 site (which obviously has a particular view on things) has a report, written by Professor Fred Coalter which explores this:
PDF download link: http://www.nolondon2012.org/SportingLegacyPaper.pdf
How has the cost of staging the games changed over time ? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18585209
11. IKEA are apparently going to be building a whole new neighbourhood close to the Olympic park. Given the nature of London and its population, is it possible to ‘create’ a community in this way ? Do we need more new communities, or to further support the ones that already exist ?
12. I have previously blogged about the fencing off of the Greenwich Meridian. Greenwich is being used for the Equestrian events - to gain access to the section of the (imaginary to be fair) line immediately outside the observatory requires the payment of an entrance fee of £7 per adult.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/visit/scenic-attractions/meridian-line/
13. The website which shows the possible inconvenience of the games to you: Get Ahead of the Games is well worth exploring: http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-public-transport.html
Many thousands of Londoners are going to face huge inconvenience for months as the trains, buses and road links that they rely on are closed or diverted for reasons of ‘security’. At the same time, there are also apparently going to be VIP lanes kept free for Olympics dignitaries, and traffic lights will be altered to give these lanes priority.
I wonder how many Londoners are as yet unaware of the problems that they are going to face for the duration of the summer.
New systems are now set up for the VIP lanes to speed people through the traffic:
A Daily Mail article describes the removal of speed bumps at a high cost: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170367/London-2012-Speed-humps-torn-residential-street-Olympic-chiefs-smooth-ride.html
At least you can let BP offset the carbon ‘cost’ of your journey to the games: https://spectatortargetneutral.bp.com/tag/start
Jeremy Vine tweeted a picture of the problems in some areas where there is likely to be confusion over which lane to get into. This was then picked up by the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174441/Would-know-The-Olympics-lane-confusing-London-drivers.html
14. I wonder how much was paid for the person / organisation that came up with the official slogan: ‘Inspire a generation’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9209229/London-2012-Olympics-Games-slogan-to-be-revealed.html provides some alternatives...
Inspire a generation to do what we might ask ?
How is the Olympics inspiring you ?
15. There has been some negative press from communities who feel they have been ignored by the torch route despite some connection with the games, but the organisers claim that they have taken it as close as possible to as many people as possible. The torch has been bringing out many people to cheer as it goes by. Does this have a positive impact on those communities ?
Plot a route using a piece of GIS software which would mean that the route was a similar length but avoided as many people as possible.
Check out the resource on the GA website which uses ArcGIS Explorer Online: http://geography.org.uk/projects/planetsport/london2012/torchroute
Also an article on the corporate ‘hijacking’ of the event:
16. The term ‘Olympic Divide’ has been used for some time. Goes alongside other inequalities such as the ‘digital divide’ - more here, where there is plenty more on the security costs and implications: http://www.security-games.com/news/the-olympic-divide-from-torino-to-london It also explores the work that is already underway in Rio de Janeiro to clear and change neighbourhoods in advance of 2014.
17. Athletes have healthy regimes, and that includes their diet. Which branded food will be sold within the Olympic village ?
Well, apparently just McDonalds...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/16/mcdonalds-olympic-fitness-plan?cat=sport&type=article
Is this the healthy eating message that we want to promote ?
This tweet by dietician Liz Humphreys visualises the fat content of a McDonalds meal:
https://twitter.com/Liz_Humphreys/status/208058524352262144/photo/1/large
And the many billions of McDonalds Olympics toys and other gewgaws to be given away ? Where will they be manufactured ? Don’t forget your Follow the Things ladybird to show you the way.
First pictures emerged in late June of the giant McDonalds restaurant that has been built near to the stadium: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164517/Worlds-biggest-McDonalds-First-pictures-inside-Olympic-Stadium-fast-food-restaurant.html?ICO=most_read_module
And Lord Coe has come out in defence of the sponsorship by companies like this, in this Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/22/lord-coe-sponsorship-london-olympics
Thanks to Angus W for the lead to a Daily Mirror article, referring to an article which describes some of the alleged potential tax benefits for corporate sponsors ?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/city-news/olympic-corporate-partners-can-avoid-943011
The McDonalds story was also picked up by students from King Edwards School here: https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/407391/title/ismcdonaldsthecorrectsponsorforthelondon2012games via RadioWaves
And a BBC Health article here by a leading cardiologist who wants fast food banned from the Olympic area: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18708790
“Of course the Olympic sponsors cannot be held accountable for Britain's poor health, but their connection with the Games sends a dreadful message.
In the context of an obesity epidemic I find it obscene that the Olympics chooses to associate itself with fast food, sugary drinks, chocolate and alcohol.”
Here’s a statement from the IOC. Students could use this as a resource when considering the pros and cons of such sponsorship:
Statement from the International Olympics Committee (IOC):
"The IOC only enters into partnerships with organisations that it believes work in accordance with the values of the Olympic Movement. Before entering or extending any partnership, we have a duty on behalf of all of the stakeholders in the Olympic Movement to consider this partnership very carefully, particularly where we enter partnerships on a long term basis. We are proud to work with both Coca-Cola and McDonald's, with whom we have long term agreements in place through 2020.
"Coca-Cola has been a partner of the Olympic Games since 1928, and has an outstanding heritage in supporting the Olympic Movement, and promoting the Olympic Games and active, healthy lifestyles to billions of consumers. Today, Coca-Cola sponsors more than 250 physical activity and nutrition education programs in more than 100 countries and is committed to sponsoring a program in every country where it operates by the end of 2015.
"For London 2012, the company is focused on using its partnership with the Olympic Games to amplify the importance of active, healthy living. In London, Coca-Cola will deliver a variety and choice, and provide easy-to-understand information about their products so consumers can decide what is most appropriate for them. In fact, they will offer the widest range of drinks they have ever offered at an Olympic Games, including sparkling and still, low- and no-calorie choices, juices, smoothies and water.
McDonald's has supported the Olympic Movement as a sponsor since 1976, and earlier this year we signed an extension to our global partnership with them through to 2020. McDonald's provides a varied menu with a wide choice of high-quality options in its restaurants at the Olympic Games. The company is committed to promoting an active lifestyle, and has implemented well publicised nutrition and active lifestyle programmes around the world. For example, through its Champions of Play programme, McDonald's will bring nearly 200 young people from more than 33 countries to London for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"McDonald's also launched the 'Happy Meal Mascotathon' in the UK, with unique Happy Meal activity toys to track energy use. McDonald's will offer their most extensive menu at an Olympic Games in their Olympic venue restaurants, and for the first time, will serve Happy Meals which will include fruit, vegetable and dairy options.
"The companies also support many other sporting organisations and events, ranging from major international events to local grassroots sports programmes - including for example, (Coca-Cola) The Fifa World Cup, the NFL, the Rugby World Cup and (McDonald's) The Fifa World Cup, The Football Association.
"Funding from the Worldwide TOP Programme goes directly to over 200 National Olympic Committees, as well as to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games. Without sponsorship funding, the Olympic Games would not happen in its current format and athletes from a number of nations would simply not be able to compete.
"By showcasing the inspirational sporting achievements of top athletes at the Games, we are able to promote and reinforce the importance of sports as part of a healthy, active lifestyle around the globe. Commercial partnerships play a major role in funding and promoting the Olympic Games, and physical activity initiatives and programmes.
"By supporting the Olympic Games, our Worldwide Partners promote sport and exercise, not only by supporting the Olympians who are able to train and compete at the Games thanks to the funding they receive, but also among the general public, who can draw inspiration from the performances of these athletes. Our sponsors are dedicated to using their marketing expertise and the appeal of their brands to communicate about physical activity in a relevant way.
I like the Daily Mash’s take on this: that athletes will have to eat burgers during the events: http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/olympians-will-eat-burgers-during-events-2012071033764 (some content on this site may not be suitable for work...)
You will only be able to get chips on their own from McDonalds apparently... unless you’re buying them with fish... this image has been doing the rounds on various sites
Meanwhile the Kazakhs want to bring horsemeat in with them: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18835622 - what other foodstuffs should the canteen be stocking ?
18. The New Economics Foundation (nef) has a report on the possible Olympics legacy.
Their Fool’s Gold report (free PDF download) shows the impacts and provides an alternative perspective and commentary on the development(s)
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/fools-gold
Fool’s Gold, identifies the ‘trickle down’ economics that underlie the approach to regeneration at the heart of the Olympic bid as the root cause of the problem. This assumes that investment flowing into deprived areas will stay put. In practice, as nef research has shown, it leaks out to consultants, developers and large companies which are best able to exploit new commercial opportunities. Small local enterprises are unable to compete and local people who don’t own their own homes are priced out of the housing market because gentrification inflates the cost of living well above their income levels.
Fool’s Gold sets out a ten-point rescue plan, which, if acted on, could help to ensure that East London isn’t trampled in the Olympic gold rush.
Check out nef’s other reports - they should form the basis for units in a critical KS3 / GCSE offering, particular the reports on Interdependence Day, Clone Towns and an Inconvenient Sandwich.
This will be worth revisiting once the games are over to see how many of the reports recommendations actually come to fruition....
19. Check the Games Monitor website: http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/ They have produced some impact reports, which it would be useful to compare with those produced by LOCOG: http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/node/333 - this led me to this report on the ‘branding police’ who will stop people uploading pictures to social media sites: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/13/olympics-2012-branding-police-sponsors - so obviously young people are not the generation that they want to inspire ?
According to the Telegraph on the 16th of July, these brand police are now in action: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-flooded-with-brand-police-to-protect-sponsors-7945436.html
Interesting list of ‘banned words’....
And interestingly, you can’t put in a ‘Freedom of Information’ request to LOCOG as it’s a private company: http://www.london2012.com/freedom-of-information/ - you can fill in an enquiry form which probably ends up the same place as the planning notice at the start of the ‘Hitch-Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy’....
20. Was also amused at this story about the ceremonies to open and close the games: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/us-news-blog/2012/apr/13/keith-moon-london-olympics-organisers?intcmp=239
How about designing some centre-piece ‘geographical’ events which would provide a counterpoint to David Beckham on a London bus...
The ceremony has been announced with Danny Boyle’s ‘Green and Pleasant’ - some discussion on whether this is truly representative of Britain - the Evening Standard on 13th June had the headline ‘Farm Olympics’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18424058
The Daily Mail did a satirical take on the concept of the English countryside...
What are your thoughts on this article ? Is this unnecessary ? Is there a little element of ‘truth’ here about Britain 2012 ?
What would you have as the music / showpiece activities to represent the country ?
21. What energy will be used to power the Olympic flame ?
The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 also found that the 77 days of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games will use the energy equivalent of powering 20,000 homes for a year.
22. Just how much energy do those small wind turbines outside Westfield actually generate, or are they for show ?
23. Metro had a 100 day countdown, with an Olympic fact for each number from 1-100. Students could be asked to produce a similar resource with perhaps a particular ‘focus’ that is provided in advance, or perhaps do a similar ‘count-up’ once the games have ended ?
24. Simon Moore won’t be going to the games (probably). He has been served with a pre-emptive ASBO: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/17/protester-receives-olympic-asbo
All a bit ‘Minority Report’ ?
Several other people also have banning orders preventing them going near the games.
25. Do you fancy having a missile launcher on the top of your block of flats ? Or having one fired over your heads...
And was the man who published the leaflet then evicted from his flat ? http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/london/im-being-evicted-says-east-london-resident-who-blew-whistle-on-missiles-7710810.html
There seem to be several conflicting stories here. What’s certain is that there is now a website for a campaign against the missiles: http://stoptheolympicmissiles.org but they are being located nonetheless. By the start of July we’ve had confirmation that they will be used against unauthorised aircraft entering the airspace to shoot them down - just exactly where is this downed aircraft going to land ?? And what about when the missile is launched ?
On 8th of July, Guardian comment article described the militarisation of London: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/08/olympics-london-militarised-zone?fb=native in the run-up to the games.
Residents are seeking a judicial review about the lack of consultation over the siting of the missiles.
They didn’t win their case though: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18778723
26. OK, so you rock up with your picnic, only to be told that you can’t take liquids more than 100ml at a time into the park... similar to aircraft security.
And of course the refreshments available for sale inside will be ‘reassuringly expensive’..... Thanks to Angus Willson for the link to the £7 pint which you can enjoy while there: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/may/31/olympic-games-london-beer-pint
You can refill your empty plastic bottle with water though so that’s OK.
There are similar restrictions on food, clothing and even loud things like vuvuzelas... You’ll also need to be careful about the camera equipment that you take and leave your 3G dongle at home too: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2181856/olympic-games-committee-sets-restrictions-camera-gear
Even by mid-July, there is still a lack of guidance over which cameras may be allowed into venues such as Wembley: http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/2191629/olympics-organisers-refuse-to-confirm-what-cameras-people-can-take-to-venues?WT.rss_f=&WT.rss_a=Olympics+organisers+refuse+to+confirm+what+cameras+people+can+take+to+venues
27. Landlords have allegedly been evicting tenants so that they can get some short term gain during the games, although the longer term benefits are from having a secure tenant. There’s been a lot of short-term thinking like this - these landlords won’t be popular once the games are over:
Reported on BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17986383
There are also lots of local residents hoping to cash in by renting out their houses.
http://www.rentduringthegames.com/ - thanks to Angus W for the link here - was featured on recent Channel 4 programme (check 4OD in early July 2012)
Interestingly there are suggestions that there may end up being an oversupply of property, and that London will become a ‘ghost town’ as soon as the games end. Hotels are dropping their room rates dramatically immediately after the games: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tourism-bosses-fear-unwanted-olympic-legacy-empty-rooms-7858839.html
Nick Varney, chief executive of Britain's leading attractions operator, Merlin, said: "The travel trade who normally bring tourist groups have basically switched away from London. Hotel rooms have gone up in price, and they've thought, 'We don't even want to deal with being in London through that summer period'. So immediately, there's a trade hit."
And will the promise of affordable housing be hit by recent proposed changes to thresholds for rental payments in London that were introduced by the government ?
28. Front page of my local paper: lady knitting for charity withdraws a doll from sale in case it contravenes the laws protecting copyright on the 5 rings etc... This ended up making the national news too.
29. Torch bearers selling them on eBay - is this OK ? This story seems to have disappeared fairly quickly, but there are certainly still torches for sale.
What about the fact they have to buy them if they want to keep them.. And how does that square with this BBC story on the torch bearers during the Greek leg ? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18111488
The torch is making its trip around the country.
What’s the carbon footprint of the convoy ?
This Daily Mail article includes a graphic showing the various vehicles that are accompanying the torch:
Torch bearers are athletes, past Olympics stars, and people who have done huge amounts for local charities or battled illness..... and American music producers ?
or corporate sponsors ?
30. Exclusion zones
The latest imposition on people living locally was revealed in late May.
This site shows the ‘brand exclusion zones’ which are put in place around the Olympics Park.
http://newsfeed.kosmograd.com/kosmograd/2012/05/olympics-brand-exclusion-zone.html
One of my Twitter connections Keir Clarke mentioned the issues with this for him: how will he get his shopping home ?
It’s worth taking a look at these maps as they show the extent of the zone where you can only eat McDonalds and use a VISA card...
This will be supported by preventing spectators from wearing clothing prominently displaying competing brands, or from entering the exclusion zone with unofficial snack and beverage choices. Within the Zone, the world's biggest McDonald's will be the only branded food outlet, and Visa will be the only payment card accepted.
Why not train some students as Olympics ‘brand Police’ and go around the school looking for incidents where the rules are being transgressed ?
More on brand police here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/13/olympics-2012-branding-police-sponsors
Design some badges for them to wear using Big Huge Labs or somewhere similar: http://bighugelabs.com/badge.php
More information on the official London Olympics Partners here: http://www.london2012.com/about-us/the-people-delivering-the-games/olympic-partners/index.html
You could also create your own suggestions for the ‘Official Olympics.... Toilet paper’ etc...
31. One of the partners is : http://www.dow.com/ - they triggered this announcement earlier in the year from LOCOG: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17054672
32. There’s a useful looking film here: an event in London on the 29th of May - http://www.lidf.co.uk/event/the-olympic-side-of-london/ with narration by Iain Sinclair. Watch the trailer for this film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO31dm78cJw&list=PLA7D309B84E482D47&index=1&feature=plcp
On the eve of the 2012 Olympics, this critical portrait of East London explores the transformation of the area from a marginal, working class community to a vibrant cultural hotspot, about to take the world's centre stage. With a lyrical cinematic style that oscillates between compelling imagery and gripping interviews, it explores the conflicts and hopes of East Londoners in the midst of the Olympic Propaganda Campaign, asking: what happens after the Games?
Compare this with the map and Extended Essay that accompany the images of photographer Toby Smith:
http://www.shootunit.com/current_projects/lea_valley_map/
There’s plenty more on the regeneration of the East End of London (with lots of comments) in this Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/07/london-east-end-olympics which describes a project known as High Street 2012
http://www.highstreet2012.com/
33. Thomas Cook’s plans to make a tidy profit from Olympics packages doesn’t seem to be paying off according to the Mail article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153786/Thomas-Cook-forced-abandon-plan-cash-Olympics-6-500-packages-replaced-frills-deals-just-99.html
34. Why do companies sponsor the Olympics ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18101619 - what are they hoping to get out of it ?
35. When a major event happens that is going to bring millions of people to a city away from their usual lives, there are certain services which they might want to make use of. This BBC article discusses one of those: a potential increase in the number of prostitutes working in the city: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18174387
“Major sporting events can be a magnet for the global sex and trafficking industry; this is wholly unacceptable. I am determined that traffickers will not exploit London 2012." - Tessa Jowell
But is the strategy for dealing with this issue the most appropriate ? This Guardian article discusses this point: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/09/olympics-crackdown-on-sex-trade
36. Merchandising made in China in ‘The Sun’: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4070879/Olympic-mascot-toys-retailing-at-20-made-by-Chinese-workers-getting-26p-an-hour.html
37. An interesting story in the first week of June which related to some knitted cushions which were apparently being knitted out of British wool: there was one cushion for each of the competitors - a real ‘marathon’ effort. You can see a video which describes the process here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18343074
Which all sounds very sweet, except there are apparently some problems with the distribution of the cushions, as it may not go down well with the sponsorship agreements, so the cushions may not now be distributed. This Sun article has some information for further exploration:
38. Cashpoints being replaced and reduced in number ? You’d think there’d be a need for more given the high price of refreshments which has been described on a previous point: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/31/london-2012-visa-cash-points_n_1558460.html
39. Should Saudi Arabia be allowed to compete in the games if (as reported here) they plan to bring no female competitors ?
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/25/london-2012-saudi-arabia-women_n_1544818.html?1338462153
I believe this may not now be the case.
And will Syria be allowed to be involved ? : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18230869
And will North and South Korea be marching together ? (ref another story...)
40. There is still an ongoing threat of industrial action during the games. The union representing bus drivers is asking for an extra £500 payment for drivers, who it is thought will have to cope with an extra 800 000 passengers. Unite union regional officer had an interesting quote:
'Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics'
Unite regional officer Peter Kavanagh
41. Rip-off London warning. London prices are already higher than many other parts of the country, but there are concerns over high hotel room prices during the Olympics. Also some new hotels built - will they be sustainable once the rush of visitors (assuming there is one) have gone ? Recent programme on Channel 4 may be worth watching on 4OD (early July 2012)
42. Fears over whether the 3G data network and local broadband networks can cope during the games. Most operators are warning of potential problems in key areas. Having been to Glastonbury and seen what effect trying to tweet with over 100 000 other people around can have, one hopes that there is extra capacity in place. Or perhaps it’s a ploy to stop people tweeting pictures which haven’t been officially sanctioned.
This BBC magazine article discusses some of the problems, and describes people at the Beijing Olympics who didn’t bother trying uploading pictures during the ceremony as the connection was too slow: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18551475
It will put a huge strain on the UK's mobile phone and internet networks.
And it does not just affect the lucky ticket holders. Everybody in London is likely to feel the network overload, including emergency services and transport operators.
Analysts estimate this year's Olympics will be the most data-heavy yet - with some 60Gb, the equivalent of 3,000 photographs, travelling across the network in the Olympic Park every second.
While passing through London in early July, I was able to connect to the WiFi which has been added at selected Underground stations. It was a little slow but it did work...
43. Will there be people throwing ‘sickies’ especially if there is a day when they have tickets unexpectedly and hadn’t booked a holiday ? Advice for employers here from the Personnel Today website:
Prepare to manage "sickies"
Employers often find an increased rate of absence during special events such as the Olympic Games, so they may consider putting in place a requirement that employees who are sick on key event days (or the following day) provide medical evidence (such as proof that they have visited a GP). Return-to-work interviews should be carried out on a consistent basis to monitor the reasons for absence. Where an employer has strong evidence that an absence was not genuine, this should be addressed as a disciplinary matter.
44. A lot of money is apparently being spent ‘tidying up’ some of the streets that visitors might see - we wouldn’t want them to see the reality of London life would we ?
Are the improvements really an improvement ?
Discuss...
45. Music at the Opening Ceremony. Sex Pistols ? Discussion on BBC News this morning... How many of the tunes at the opening ceremony to the Beijing Olympics did you know ? What are the challenges of choosing music that the world will hear ? Danny Boyle’s playlist has apparently leaked: http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/danny-boyle/357254-london-2012-olympic-games-danny-boyle-playlist-leaked - at least there’s some Mike Oldfield on there... perhaps Mike could do some guitar solos during the event ? Now that I would pay to see...
Spooky - turns out he was there, and did a fair few guitar solos - hopefully it will encourage him to tour again....
Certainly no shortage of geography in the Olympic ceremony, including lots of facts about each nation. Ben Hennig has already produced a useful and relevant map: http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/?p=2410
46. News story from the 18th of June:
A protest outside LOCOG against the involvement of BP as a sustainability partner for the London Olympics. The website for the associated campaign is called GreenwashGold http://greenwashgold.org/
The website has a series of short videos on the objections to certain companies.
Are these reasonable protests to make ?
Are they accurate ?
47. Are hundreds of Coca Cola branded bins an ‘environmental legacy’ for the games or stealth street advertising ? How long will they remain after the games have finished ?
http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/environment/helping-london-recycle-for-the-2012-olympics.html
48. The medals that the athletes are competing to win are made using Gold, Silver and Bronze (and other metals...)
Rio Tinto have been asked to produce the medals, but it seems from this Telegraph article that there hasn’t been a clear audit trail to show where all the metal has been sourced. Given the potential negative consequences of some mining practises worldwide, one would assume that LOCOG would want to be happy that the metal was ‘clean’...
The medals are apparently going to be the heaviest ever - why not the lightest ?
Watch this Al-Jazeera film, which lasts just over 20 minutes:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/06/201262075757520106.html
The Great Olympic Greenwash ?
Stretching 3.22km wide and 1.2km deep, the Kennecott mining operation, generating one quarter of all US copper, as well as a portion of its gold, silver and molybdenum, has never been too far from controversy. Its size has much to do with it: producing more copper than any other mine in history, it is said to be the largest man-made hole on the planet. But the vast amount of waste generated as a result of the mine has made it the single largest industrial polluter in the Salt Lake City basin, contributing a hefty amount to the region's total overall pollution.
49. Why not make your own Olympics video on your mobile phone. Here’s Keith Allen’s Fit Les video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18532278 for inspiration.
50. Security infographic from the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympic_infographics_and_data/9345056/London-2012-Olympic-security-visualised.html
Around 200 police officers from Norfolk will be going down to London to work during the games, rather than policing Norfolk.
Is that supposed to make me feel safer ?
51. I probably need some root canal work done by a specialist (fingers crossed) This is likely to cost me around £800. However, if I’m a Peruvian shot-putter or a Latvian Fencer I can hang on for a few weeks and get it fixed for nowt, at the expense of British tax-payers...
"We would complete and finish a root canal for someone who might not be able to get it in their own country," said Wendy Turner, one of the six dentists who will work in the clinic. "There will be competitors who haven't had much access to dental care. It is an opportunity for them to get it sorted out."
Can you fit me in a week on Wednesday ?
52. Airspace around the Olympics Park will be closed during the games.
This link goes to a handy PDF which explains what to do if you inadvertently stray into the restricted zone...
http://olympics.airspacesafety.com/media/7037/asi_intercept_leaflet_v5_lr.pdf
via an article on aerial photographer Jason Hawkes, who has taken some of the best images of the area...
53. Stephen Schwab has produced a free resource for Boardworks on the Olympics, which can be downloaded from this link (free registration required) http://www.boardworks.co.uk/geography-free-stuff_704?CID=147133
‘Faster Higher Stronger ?’ or ‘Bums on seats’...
- How is London being marketed worldwide as a tourist destination?
- Is ‘good for London’ good for the rest of the UK?
- Who is the ‘typical Olympic tourist’?
54. Inevitably with any area of regeneration, there is a boundary where the work stops. This BBC article explores those ‘Edgelands’ (have you read the book of the same name ? it’s rather good..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18625346
One of the locations is the Lord Napier pub which is part of John Widdowson’s Olympic tour: my Flickr set when I went round the park with John, which includes a close-up of the graffiti on the Lord Napier is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographypages/sets/72157629483999890/
55. James Davies has a gallery of images of the ‘Olympic City’ - some may be NSFW or NSFS (not suitable for school) - use your judgement when using. Some great images here though: http://jamesdaviesphoto.com/2012/07/olympic-city/#1
Why not challenge students to produce their own similar gallery if they are in the area, or near to one of the other venues
56. Interesting tweet yesterday that even the announcements at Stratford railway station don’t use the word ‘Olympics’, as they don’t have permission ?
57. The venues that are being used at the games will hopefully be put to better use in the long term than some of the venues from the Beijing Olympics which, as shown in this Atlantic Cities photo story, are not all being maintained just 4 years on from when the games was held there.
58. Interesting new addition to my Amazon MarketPlace sellers page for July 12th: https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/headlines.html/ref=im_headlines_cont_home - suggests that I can’t deliver parcels to addresses within the postcodes around the Park during the games unless I use UPS ? http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=1886288031 has more information on this...
59. A glimpse of the Olympic Park on StreetView is possible: Keir Clarke sent the link: https://maps.google.com/?ll=51.539594,-0.007788&spn=0.02744,0.084543&hnear=London+SW1P+2NU,+United+Kingdom&t=h&layer=c&cbll=51.539594,-0.007788&panoid=5SjUGOEeTeO3Y3M0CaUoAw&cbp=12,273.29,,0,-1.12&z=14 although the view from the bridge across to Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford is now obscured by a huge ad: thanks to Angus Willson I think for the link to a video of it happening, taken by Matthew Morris: http://matthewmorris.posterous.com/view-from-the-westfield-bridgegoing-going-gon
60. Cyclists are next in the firing line according to this article, which also has a picture of one of the Olympics lanes: http://www.eta.co.uk/2012/07/09/olympic-road-ban-cyclists-will-put-lives-risk
There is some advice for cyclists, who would normally be able to avoid traffic by using bus lanes and other routes. The creation of the Olympics lanes has reduced their options.
In a statement sent to the Guardian newspaper today from TfL Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, Garrett Emmerson, it is suggested that cyclists should sit in traffic queues rather than overtaking slow-moving traffic: “It is irresponsible to suggest that cyclists would be safer if allowed to cycle in the busy offside Games lanes. Experience in London shows that the majority of cyclists prefer to cycle positioned safely in the near-side lanes. In conditions of slow moving traffic, we encourage cyclists to avoid putting themselves in danger by staying safe and staying back.”
Spokesperson for the ETA, Yannick Read, said: “TfL chiefs must very rarely cycle in London to have wrongly assumed that the best place for bicycles on busy roads is hugging the gutter, or sitting at a standstill in traffic.”
“Cyclists who stray into the Games Lanes will face a fixed penalty of £130 and their bike will be impounded if they are unable to pay.”
61. As we moved into the middle of July, the latest issues were with the little matter of the SECURITY of the games - something reasonably important but apparently despite the tens of millions that some companies are being paid to sort out training etc., there are some staff shortages and troops are being drafted in...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18840464 has details on the issues with security
62. Thanks to Moira Jenkins for the lead to this interesting cultural / religious story relating to the fact that Ramadan coincides with the games: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/may/03/london-2012-olympics-mohamed-sbihi
63. I like these bags, which Twitter led me to, from ‘That big event in London’ - suitably satirical...
64. Thanks to Moira Jenkins for the tip-off to a resource from Carousel. It is designed for KS2 students in particular.
It relates to the banning of learning-disabled athletes from the Paralympic Games - the ban has been overturned for the summer games in London.
65. Another Daily Mail article explores the alleged conditions for those who are being employed to clean the venues and the Park for the next few months: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174034/London-2012-Olympics-10-room-1-shower-75-people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html Apparently some of the troops who are being drafted in at the last minute are going to sleep in a ‘prison’ warehouse, according to the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/3500-soldiers-set-to-bed-down-in-a-prison-warehouse-7945441.html
66. Via Twitter I also came across this excellent article in ‘The Kernel’ on Olympic sponsorship: http://www.kernelmag.com/comment/column/2823/whatever-you-do-dont-mention-the-olympics/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150969200936633_229520985_10150969209656633#f29cc002c8
It also introduced me to the term the ‘Streisand Effect’.
67. Apparently the Jet Stream is due to move north, the Azores High should build and we may well go back to the weather we normally get in July... already some of the venues are getting a tad muddy....
Some athletes have also decided to train elsewhere due to the weather: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18867521
68. A look at the German’s view of the games and how they are going in Der Spiegel: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/london-and-the-2012-olympic-games-a-match-made-in-hell-a-844599.html
Such as:
A parliamentary committee recently concluded that the Games will cost the public sector alone £11 billion. Some critics believe that the total cost for London will, in fact, amount to some £24 billion.
According to a survey, half of the city's bankers are worried that London's mobility problems during the fames could cause serious turmoil on the securities markets. On balance, the Olympics will likely remain a losing bargain -- which Cameron, of course, strictly denies.
And the children? They haven't become athletes, either. On the contrary, the boys and girls of the British Isles are among the fattest in the European Union. London's poor East End now has an Olympic Park and the largest shopping center in the EU -- but it's still poor.
There was some similar criticism from Australian quarters (and Mitt Romney) which didn’t go down well...
69: A new Tom Humberstone comic: http://www.cartoonmovement.com/comic/41
This section was written once the games started, and continued after they finish(ed)
1. We had the North / South Korea flag mix-up, which is a reminder that although knowing about flags is not necessarily ‘geography’, not-knowing them is certainly a problem... A bad joke I heard earlier was that the LOCOG official in charge of flags was looking for a ‘Korea change’...
Also some problems with flags being hung incorrectly at Hampden on the 26th of July
2. A drinking game for the Opening ceremony, thanks to Angus Willson, and some souvenirs in Private Eye, courtesy of Graeme Eyre
3. The number of empty seats, despite the huge efforts and disappointments people made, and experienced to get them is disgraceful.... They should have been distributed to people who expressed an interest... Any events that are not sold out should be opened up to people already in the Olympic Park, and there should have been a general ‘admission to the Park’ ticket which would have enabled the chance of this happening.
What would your solution be ?
Why are there empty seats ? Read this BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19037625
Some more ticket stories here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19036824
Or this suggestion relating to the Wimbledon tennis matches:
And unlike at the Wimbledon championships, there seemed to be no system whereby people leaving the venue could put their ticket in a box so that newcomers could come in to take up the empty seats.
This has continued to be a problem - as I write this the games are in their 9th day and there are still problems obtaining tickets.
4. I presume Aidan Burley MP has some regrets about his comments on ‘multicultural crap’ during the opening ceremony, although he was ‘misunderstood’:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/28/olympics-multicultural-crap-tweet-misunderstood
especially after the ‘Super Saturday’...
Interesting article in The Independent:
On Friday evening, getting on to a tube in Victoria, I met a Somali family wearing so much Union Jack kit they looked like a mobile tourist stall. The mum had a red, blue and white band across her forehead under a tight, black head-scarf; her sons carried flags and her daughter's leggings were festooned with crowns, Big Bens, St Paul's and colours of this nation.
They were coming back from a halal chicken restaurant after breaking an 18-hour fast for Ramadhan. They told me they were so happy because of Farah. They wanted their children to be like him, make this country proud of them. Near us a white family was just as joyous and for the same reasons. And I thought, this is brilliant, we are in it together. And then a smart-looking white woman in her forties muttered to a man she was with: "They're not British. How dare they? Why don't they go back where they came from?" Then got off at Sloane Square. You see, we immigrants can't win. But we'll never stop trying.
and a tweet from David Cameron himself:
"The opening ceremony has been a great showcase for this country. It's more proof Britain can deliver."
5. Cartoon in ‘The Sheffield Telegraph’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographypages/7719511708/in/photostream
6. This Olympics food market doesn’t seem to have been a success, and created real financial problems for some of the stall-holders: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/9859896.LEYTON__Olympic_food_market__a_catastrophe/
7. More bad decisions seem to have been made with respect to the School Sports Partnerships which had their funding removed, and also Gove apparently allowed the sales of some school playing fields to go ahead - where will the next generation of Olympians come from ? We can’t all afford to buy a horse or a boat...
8. Catch ESRI’s Olympics Medal StoryMap: http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/mappingthemedals/
9. Useful data on the Guardian’s datablog on the medal winners: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/aug/06/team-gb-medal-winners-background
10. The London Olympics are officially the greenest games ever according to the commission looking at such things: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19220847
I even saw some people on the Tube talking to each other! Why can't it be like that all the time?”
Shaun McCarthyCommission for a Sustainable London 2012
11. Will people have patience with politicians trying to muscle in on the games and suggest they had much to do with all the successes ?
Will they be bothered about overpaid footballers rolling around in mock agony and switching allegiances for money rather than the obvious pride of competing for Team GB that has been demonstrated during the Olympics ?
12. Interesting article on LEGACY: speech by head of ODA http://www.london2012.com/media-centre/media-releases/year=2008/month=02/article=london-2012-on-track-to-be-the-regeneration-games-.html
13. Nice Google Earth activity from Richard Treves... http://googleearthdesign.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/london-olympics-time-tour-teaching-idea.html
14. New opportunities for Geography Fieldwork with Bob Digby and John Widdowson: http://www.urbangeogeastlondon.org/index.html
After the games
Some further stories to appear here... What are your predictions ?
Further references
Books
A very useful new chapter has been added to the 2012 edition of Anna Minton’s ‘Ground Control’, which unpicks the genesis of the Olympic park, and the issues of public / private space which exist in the area. It is eminently readable.
Google Books Search
Critical Geographies
Articles
Ashok Kumar on the way that Olympics preparations can leave some areas subjected to a change in demographics. This links to the work of David Harvey.
http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/olympics-opportunity-cleanse-city/
“This violent process is intimately connected to reconfiguring the landscape for capital accumulation and, indeed, is a prime motivation for the very purpose of the Olympics itself.
The Games are not simply hosted to ‘clean up’ the city, but to fundamentally reconfigure it, to ‘cleanse’ it of its poor and undesirable; to not only make way for a city by and for the rich, but to expand the terrain of profitable activity.” (Kumar, 2012)
A useful PDF map of the park produced via the Ordnance Survey blog:
http://blog.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/olympic_site_map-low-resolution.pdf
Images
Appropriate searches of Flickr will bring up a range of images of graffiti and other social commentary.
Search: http://www.flickr.com/search/?ss=1&w=all&q=anti+olympics+graffiti&m=text
A nice Boston Big Picture set showing the athletes in training:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/07/olympics_2012_athletes_in_trai.html
There are bound to be other sets from this source. It’s worth looking at some of the other galleries as there are many wonderful images here which would be useful for other subjects.
Maps on this post: http://newsfeed.kosmograd.com/kosmograd/2012/05/olympics-brand-exclusion-zone.html#
A great billboard appeared in my Twitter feed recently. It featured a lot of ‘banned words’.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/402948_10151029978027500_1711835245_n.jpg
Also, here’s the park as rendered in the new free Recce app for London, which is really impressive in its graphics.
A rather splendid ‘alternative’ tube-map with the lines arranged as the 5 Olympic rings also appeared in my Twitter feed via the Psychogeographical Commission, but it’s a little too rude to reproduce here...
Thanks also to Tina Richardson for the tipoff to the London (De)Tour map: http://www.londontourguide2012.org/
This is described as follows:
London [de]Tour Guide 2012 is a collaborative Google map that highlights a variety of noteworthy sites, histories, and narratives compiled by local residents. Visitors are welcome to browse the site as an insiders’ guide to the city. For us, it is vital to complicate the sanitized version of the city the London Organizing Committee is officially promoting worldwide.
Moreover, the guide offers a venue for kaleidoscopic and divergent representations of space, illustrating how space is determined socially through conflict and contestation. As such, we encourage participants to join and add their own points of view, especially when there is disagreement about a particular place or point. Within this project, to simply map a place is not a question of promotion or rejection of a site, but rather a way of showing how spaces are viewed and valued differently.
You can edit the map and add your own pin.
Fieldwork
At the GA Conference, there was a session on the possible fieldwork experiences that will be offered after the games. The FSC have produced a page of links associated with the session:
Mapping
ESRI have produced a Story Map of the venues of the games: http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/olympicvenues/ - I’m grateful to Joseph Kerski for the tip-off to this document
And finally...
If you don’t understand what those letters mean in the title of the document, you’ll soon be able to ask a Primary school child as they’ll have to learn them apparently: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jun/18/primary-roman-numerals-nqt-academies?INTCMP=SRCH
GA Resource
Head to the GA shop to buy a copy of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ by Andy Roberts
Alan Parkinson
Created May-July 2012
P.S
Is it too early to start thinking about Rio 2016 ?
http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/crimes/17-07-2012/121659-rio_slums-0/
or GLASGOW 2014 for the Commonwealth Games ?