Why we should invest in this idea.
“The Olympics demonstrate the value of friendship and international cooperation among the participating athletes and the countries they represent. Organized sports have always played an essential role in the promotion of peaceful international relations between different populations, with the various nations which have always been able to compete without any conflict, and despite geopolitical differences” [American Psychology Association, Psychology at the UN]
Thus starts the first candidacy proposal which includes London, Paris, and Turin. Moreover, the students from Temple state, right from the 19th century the Olympics have always called to mind international cooperation and partnership. This is why Olympics built around some countries will enhance this vision, and at the same time, allow visitors to enjoy a multicultural experience.
Various aspects are considered within the proposal: from hospitality to transport, from the development of an environmentally-friendly project to the design of new technologies that improve the lives of citizens and make the Games easier to enjoy.
Here in detail are the most interesting points from their proposal:
1. SUSTAINABILITY OF THE OLYMPICS
Among the primary goals of these Olympics is above all that of developing structures which cities can benefit from also in the period following the Games.
To do this, it will be necessary to maximize the restructuring and use of existing facilities, and minimizing the construction of new structures which may overlap with those that already exist, and thus, avoiding a pointless waste of resources.
Should instead it be considered strictly necessary to build new stadia or arenas, which may be hard to redeploy post-Olympics, and consideration may be given to building them with recyclable materials and then dismantle them immediately after the event to reuse the materials.
The basketball arena for London 2012 which no longer exists was built with recyclable materials and designed to be dismantled after its use.
2. TRANSCONTINENTAL OLYMPIC (TCO) PRECHECK – AN IMMIGRATION PROJECT
Considering Great Britain’s recent decision to leave the EU, an exciting proposal regards possible immigration issues: the TransContinental Olympic (TCO) precheck project.
Specifically, it is simply a unique program designed to speed up immigration checks for athletes, coaches, workers, and spectators at the Games. This plan may include controls which can be carried out by scanning the iris, digital fingerprints, or e-passports. This would help reduce queues and waiting times to make it easier in taking part in the event.
To be able to take part in the program, it would be sufficient to download an App and record your data and fingerprints at the nearest airport, for just a small fee. If the TCO were successful, it would be possible to imagine a similar project also outside of the Olympics.
3. HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATION
As for accommodation, consideration could be given to starting partnerships with hotel chains to guarantee visitors to the Games, the chance to stay in dedicated structures at exceptional prices, and offering particular services to improve their stay.
As for London, where it is estimated that there are thousands of abandoned structures, it was thought to fill these unusable spaces with thousands of houses which, once the Olympics are over, could be used as homeless shelters. It is estimated that in London, there are at least 8,000 of them.
Another solution linked to housing could be OlympicBnB. This is an App which may offer in collaboration with the well-known AirBnB, incentives for local people to put up Olympic spectators at reasonable prices.
4. OLYMPIC VILLAGES
Given that the Village designed for Paris 2024 will only be temporary, a solution of this kind could also be considered for 2032, or it could be possible to use the space taken up by abandoned buildings to create Olympic Villages which can then be reconverted into flats, hotels, or shelters.
5. TRANSPORT
To maintain the sustainability of transport for the Paris, London, and Turin 2032 Olympics, existing rail lines may be used by adding more trains to be used by those taking part in the Olympics with the OlympicGo program.
Rail lines of OlympicGo
The rail lines will be inspired by the colors of the 5 Olympic rings:
- Blue Line: London-Turin direct (2/2½ h)
- Red Line: London-Paris direct (45 min/1h)
- Green Line: Turin-Paris direct (1½ h)
- Yellow Line: the line connecting all three cities with Paris as the halfway point (2½ h)
- Black Line: a day and night line to connect the various areas of the cities and allow guests to return quickly to their accommodation (given that there will be a partnership with AirBnB, and that not everyone will be in the city centre near the stadia. In this way, urban and extra-urban transport will be facilitated).
As for rail transport between one country and another, perhaps, the best project regarding costs, and ease of use could be the Hyperloop which is the supersonic train designed by Elon Musk expected to travel at 1,200 km/h, producing more energy than that consumed.
The project has already started in the United States and is considered that, if the estimates are correct, it should be able to cover the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco (616 km) in around 48 minutes. The cost of the project would be about 10 million dollars.
In April 2018, a trial section was built in France too.
6. TECHNOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY: VIRTUAL REALITY
The total cost on average to take part in the Olympics is around 4,000 dollars per person according to an estimate from TIME.com.
By adding virtual reality also, those who cannot afford such expenditure can, in any case, take part in the Olympics, with the possibility of acquiring a Virtual Reality seat for under 100 dollars.
Also, it would allow spectators to watch what they want without being forced to follow what is proposed on television. Everyone can watch each sport with a complete, all-around view, and one single seat in the stadium can be transformed into thousands of seats (maximizing earnings), and spectators from around the world can take part in events without having to move from their country.
Considering also the fact that during the Rio Olympics in 2016, there was 30% drop in spectators aged 18 to 34, innovations such as virtual reality could start to attract younger groups.
Another technology which could be used are drones. Their deployment could help increase the following of some less popular sports such as rowing, sailing, and surfing, and increase advertising revenues, making it possible for those who wish to follow these sports to see the beautiful settings in which they take place.