9th October 2012

1. Lessons from
the Olympic Park
green infrastructure at the heart
of economic regeneration
Peter Neal
Landscape Consultant
Green Infrastructure Partnership Seminar
MADE, Birmingham, 9 October 2012

5. Strategic Planning Framework for the Olympic Park
• Lower Lea Valley, Opportunity Area
Planning Framework, 2007

6. Connecting with the All London Green Grid
All London Green Grid, GLA / Design for London, November 2011

7. The Masterplans for Games and Transformation
2012 2014

8. The Demolition and Remediation of the Site
Image: Olympic Delivery Authority/Warren Little & Anthony Charlton

9. Sustainable Drainage and Flood Risk Management Systems
Plan: Olympic Delivery Authority / LDA Design.Hargreaves Associates

10. Constructing the North Park in February 2011
Image: Olympic Delivery Authority / Anthony Charlton

11. Image: Olympic Delivery Authority/Anthony Charlton

14. Sustainable Development Targets and Achievements
London 2012 / Olympic Delivery Authority / WWF BioRegional

15. London 2012 Pre Games Sustainability Report, April 2012
Sustainable Water
The ODA set a target to achieve a 40% reduction in the demand for
potable water, compared to current industry practice, for all
permanent venues
The Parklands team, in particular, performed exceptionally well with
highly efficient irrigation water demands through:
• planting, particularly drought resistant species;
• irrigation infrastructure, eg: drip irrigation; and
• control instrumentation, to enable effective irrigation decision
making in practice.
Although the venues achieved between 30 to 50% water efficiency,
the Parklands team achieved more than 60% efficiency.

16. London 2012 Pre Games Sustainability Report, April 2012
Zero Waste
The ODA aimed to achieve 90% re-use and recycling of waste
through the demolition phase.
To maximise opportunities for re-use, an inventory of available
materials was made available to the design teams on the Olympic
Park. For example:
• processed concrete for gabion baskets
• reclaimed cobbles and granite kerbstones
• yellow stock bricks and sandstone paving
• broken roof tiles to create invertebrate habitats
The ODA has exceeded its target in this area by achieving 98.5%
re-use and recycling of demolition material.
• 400,000 tonnes of concrete, brick and masonry processed into
recycled aggregates for use on site.
• 20,000 lorry movements saved due to processing and use of
recycled materials on site.

17. London 2012 Pre Games Sustainability Report, April 2012
Land Use and Wildlife
The ODA aspired to protect and enhance the biodiversity and
ecology of the Lower Lea Valley. It has transformed former industrial
land into 100 hectares of parklands to create the largest new urban
park for more than a century. 45 hectares are being installed for
legacy, with 25 hectares already installed for Games-time.
Overall this will include:
• 1.8ha of reedbeds suitable for roosting and breeding birds,
otters and voles;
• 20ha of species-rich grassland suitable for invertebrates, flower
• beetles, ground bugs and bees;
• five hectares of brownfield habitats including log walls, stone-
filled baskets and native tall herbs suitable for lizards, birds,
moths and linnets;
• 11ha of broadleaved woodland and hedgerows;
• 0.9ha of wet woodland – a rare habitat type for amphibians,
snakes and birds;
• four new ponds, at least 50m2 in size and four wetland and
grassland habitats.

18. An Economic Legacy for Green Infrastructure
Image: London Legacy Development Corporation / Allies and Morrison / AECOM

19. An Environmental Legacy for Green Infrastructure
Plan: Olympic Delivery Authority / LDA Design.Hargreaves Associates

20. A Social Legacy for Green Infrastructure
Plan: Olympic Delivery Authority / ETM Associates / LDA Design.Hargreaves Associates

21. The integrated delivery team for the Olympic Park
ODA Client Team
• John Hopkins / Phil Askew / Peter Neal
Delivery Partner
• Matt Heal / David Stephenson, CLM
Lead Landscape Architects
• LDA Design / Hargreaves Associates
Landscape Engineers
• Atkins / Arups
Masterplanning
• Aecom
Specialist Consultants
• Nigel Dunnett / James Hitchmough
• Sarah Price, 2012 Gardens
• Tim O’Hare, Soil Specialist
• Tim Marshall, Management Plan
• James Urban, Tree Planting

22. The Olympic Parklands Learning Legacy Papers
http://learninglegacy.london2012.com/
• Olympic Park Green Infrastructure
• The Design Brief for the Park
• The Planting Strategy for the Park
• The Water Strategy for the Park
• The Lighting Strategy for the Park
• The Soil Strategy for the Park
• Restoring the Waterways in the Park
• Eradicating Invasive Weeds
• The Park’s Biodiversity Action Plan
• Training and Apprenticeships
• The Management and Maintenance
Plan for the Park

23. The Making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Published in November 2012

24. Thank you
Peter Neal, Landscape Consultant
peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk / 07717 695290