2020 By the Book -- Olympic Legacy

(ATR) In this installment of By the Book,Around the Ringspresents a look at the 2020 Olympic Legacy plans for Istanbul, Madrid, and Tokyo.

Istanbul

The Istanbul 2020 Legacy Plan encompasses seven core sustainability initiatives such as Turkey's position in the world, cultural understanding, sport for all and youth-a new benchmark for the next generation. Other initiatives include access/equity and social inclusion, Olympic City, and urban transformation for a city of extraordinary culture.

The Olympic City initiative will create a new model community to provide benchmark "live, work, and play" conditions in Turkey, as the basis for national implementation. Istanbul plans to restore 16 historic sites, including the iconic Haydarpasa Port. The Istanbul 2020 team will also regenerate more than 900 hectares of new and restored green space and parklands, for long term community benefit.

Notable attributes for Istanbul's 2020 Olympic legacy include Istanbul's unique place in the world, the energy of Europe's youngest population with more than 31 million young people under the age of 25, and the transformational power of the Games throughout Istanbul for sport as well as for inclusion, sustainability, mobility, and accessibility.

Madrid

The Madrid 2020 Olympic Legacy plan will benefit from Madrid's 2012 and 2016 bids. A report commissioned by Madrid in December 2009 lists some of the following benefits: increase in the number of sports facilities, regeneration of the area around the River Manzanares and creation of an urban and metropolitan environmental corridor, development of renewable energies to a level of 25 percent of the city's overall energy consumption, an increase in tourism since 2003, and the creation of new cultural centers and programs.

Madrid 2020 is determined to continue investing in its 20 year sustainable plan. The investment strongly impacts the city of Madrid in many ways such as the internationalization of the city, increase in expertise and organizational skills, a new training center for rowing and canoeing ad the expansion of the public transport network. Other ways in which the 20 year sustainable plan will impact Madrid include the training of future sports professionals, the creation of the 2020 for 2020 Start Up Madrid program, the launch of Integrados program which will reach out to the city's children with disability or at risk of social exclusion, and the recruitment, training and retention of a large group of volunteers during the bid phase.

A not-for-profit foundation will be set up to develop the Legacy Plan and manage its key initiatives.

Tokyo

Tokyo plans to incorporate an Olympic Legacy Commission into its 2020 Legacy plan. The Commission will lead and co-ordinate the Development, delivery and on-going use of the physical legacies in the city.

Olympic Games in Tokyo will deliver new and refurbished sport and entertainment venues and facilities as well as new green areas. Significant positive legacies would include 11 permanent venues and 15 major community sports facilities. 21 venues will be in the revitalized Tokyo Bay Area. Part of the newly-constructed 2020 Olympic Village will become the International Exchange Plaza after the Games. The Plaza may house the Event and Sport Technology and Science Institute in Tokyo. The Institute will be a global research unit for sports event presentation, venues and legacies, helping the Olympic Movement and the sports and event sector keep abreast of changing technology and sustainability requirements.

433 hectares of new green areas will be created in Tokyo by 2020. A "green road network" will be developed through the planting of one million roadside trees, and new community spaces will be created along the Tokyo waterfront by 2020.

By the Book is a series of reports on the 2020 candidate cities, using information provided in the candidate file of each city.

Written byNicole Bennett.

For general comments or questions,click here.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.