At the beginning of the 20th century, the Olympic games included some unusual medal competitions, including architectural design and town planning. While these are no longer awarded Olympic events, architecture and urban planning continues to continue to have a crucial effect on the development of the global sporting event. Cities that bid to host face an important challenge in adapting their infrastructure to accommodate not only the venues and facilities, but all the support structures needed for a safe and enjoyable edition. Paris is no different. While the city hosted 2 previous editions of the games over a century ago, the challenges of the modern-day Games have proven significant. However, the city’s expansive infrastructures have enabled officials to adjust the measures in an effort to have sustainable development for and after the Games. With less than a month to go until the opening ceremony, explore the measures taken by city officials and the long-lasting effects of hosting an Olympic event.
Pre-Existing Infrastructures
Paris's history intertwines closely with the Olympic Games. Hosting its second edition in 1900 prompted significant urban and architectural advancements, including the inauguration of Metro Line 1 to connect sites of the Universal Exhibition and Olympic Games in Vincennes. Just 24 years later, Paris hosted a pivotal Games, the first broadcast on airwaves, which greatly boosted the event's global appeal and introduced the concept of the Olympic Village.
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From White Elephants to Sustainable Venues: The Evolving Story of Olympic ArchitectureMany venues and infrastructures built then remain integral to Parisian life, now repurposed to host Olympic events once more. The majority of this year’s Olympic venues (95%) were built before the bid was won. The conservation of historical sites such as the Grand Palais showcases Parisian architectural heritage, while temporary installations have been planned at historical landmarks further emphasizing the capital’s cultural offering.
Preparations for the Games
Organizers have declared the aim of making the Games the “greenest in history,” halving the carbon footprint of the previous games in Rio and London. This would mean that the carbon footprint should remain under 1.5 million tons of CO2. Organizers emphasize the use of existing infrastructure use and pre-implementation emissions calculation as the main measures of achieving this. While the aims is expected to be met, its claims of sustainability are challenged by the scale of the event.
Since the city if employing its existing sporting infrastructure, Paris demonstrates its capacity for hosting global events without the need for adding new structures that have been proven difficult to integrate in the urban fabric after the event. This stands in contrast to previous Games, such as Athens 2004 or Rio 2016, whose “white elephant” sporting structures continue to raise questions regarding the long-term impact of hosting the Olympics. Other Olympic venues however have managed to adapt to their post-Olympic conditions, often by scaling down and opening up as facilities for local communities.
Despite this capacity, one promise of the Olympic organizers and the administration of Paris has proven to be particularly difficult to achieve: the goal of making the Seine River safe for swimming. This has become to be one of the most challenging, costly and controversial promises of the Olympics. French authorities have spent 1.4 billion euros in the last decade in the effort to clean up the river and improve Paris’ sewage systems, whose overflow automatically diverges untreated sewage directly into the river. The efforts have boosted water quality, with plans in place of open three bathing sites for the public in 2025 at Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle, and Bercy, according to city hall.
For the Olympics, the decision to allow athletes in the river will be taken on the day of the competition, but now, less than a month before the competition, prospects are not favorable. The river is also planned to be the location of the opening ceremony, a break from the Olympic tradition of hosting the ceremony at a stadium. With boats parading along a 6km stretch through the city center, Paris authorities aimed to have a ceremony free and accessible to all. However, safety concerns have led to the limitation of the number of attendees.
Almost 8.8 million tickets have been sold for the Olympics, promising a challenging surge of visitors for the July 26-August 11 Olympics and August 28-September 8 Paralympics. As the metro lines are expected to become the main transportation mode during these times, the number of expected daily passengers is expected to increase from the usual 150,000 to an estimated 800,000. Despite promises made in the Paris bid, bus, and metro fares are expected to double for six weeks, the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic games.
In order to ease the pressure on transit infrastructures, the Olympics have been an opportunity to further push for the Grand Paris Express, an urban rail network project that began in 2013, planning plans to add 200km of tracks to the greater Paris region. With over 60 stops, the project improves the accessibility of many Parisian suburbs, including the regeneration of Saint-Denis, one of the main areas to welcome sporting events. While several extensions already complete, one key connection, the Charles de Gaulle expressway linking the airport and the Gare de l’Est railway station will not be ready in time for the events.
Exclusion zones are also enforced around the venues. During the Games, extensive traffic restrictions will be imposed, with no motorized traffic allowed in the vicinity of the competition venues, the marathon routes, and the cycling competition areas. All of these measures negatively affect Parisians, with 44% percent of them declaring that hosting the Olympics is a disadvantage for the city. The concern is based not only on the temporary inconvenience but also on the amount of money invested in hosting the events.
The Expected Legacy of the Games
In the north of Paris, the area called Seine-Saint-Denis will see the most permanent changes after the games. Here, in one of the poorest parts of Paris, the Olympic and Paralympic Village, and a new aquatics center have been built. While these will serve as key locations during the Games, they are scheduled to be transformed into facilities for the local communities after the closing of the ceremonies. The Village will accommodate 14,250 athletes during the Olympics and 8,000 during the Paralympics, with amenities including on-site clinics, food centers, and training areas.
Starting November 2024, it will be transformed into 2,500 permanent homes, a student residence, and a hotel, in addition to office and retail spaces. The development includes about 7 hectares of landscaped parks to protect biodiversity. The development is seen as a precursor of the European city of 2050, aligned with the Paris Agreement targets for 2050. With mixed-use districts, new schools, nurseries, and universal accessibility, the village prioritizes environmental goals, including a 50% reduction in carbon emissions through extensive use of wood, low-carbon concrete, and recycled materials. Adaptable design features, such as geothermal energy networks and airflow optimization, address long-term climate change.
Paris has also redefined its urban planning regulations to meet climate and housing challenges through a new bioclimatic urban master plan. After two years of studies and consultations, this plan will guide the city's development until 2030. The Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan aims to make Paris environmentally friendly by prioritizing building renovations, low-carbon construction, and biodiversity preservation. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, it promotes the creation of 300 new hectares of green spaces by 2040. Private parks and gardens will open to the public, and a 15-hectare metropolitan park will be established in northern Paris by 2030. The plan also includes localized initiatives such as prohibiting the transformation of tourist accommodations in Central Paris and creating social housing. It aims to promote solidarity and mixed sociodemographic aspects, targeting 40% public housing by 2035, with 30% social housing and 10% affordable housing. The plan mandates that any project over 5,000 square meters must allocate 10% of its area to housing creation. It also supports urban agriculture, solar roofs, and accessible rooftop terraces.
We have built this Paris 2024 legacy in a unique way, different from other editions of the Games. It focuses less on the tangible legacy, such as sports infrastructure, and more on the social, economic and societal impact on a territory. This is why we have implemented several programmes related to the intangible legacy: encouraging the French to be more active, changing perceptions of disability and creating economic opportunities for businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises and those in the social and solidarity economy. It's a specific impact for the Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris areas, the host cities. That was our main focus. It's a legacy that, in the end, directly affects people. - Marie Barsacq, Director of Impact and Legacy at Paris 2024
Part of Paris’ legacy strategy for the Olympics has been the encouragement of sporting activities for everyone, not just trained athletes. The city boasts 1,122 sports facilities available for public use, increasing the number by 71% since 2014 through large-scale investments. In addition to the built facilities, the city has organized several sports trails, and exercise tours across the city, equipped with readily-available training equipment. Additionally, various programs have been initiated to encourage Parisians to participate in sporting activities. Among these, the Paris Sport Dimanches plan offers free weekly sessions in 19 locations, attracting 4,000 participants in 2022, while programs like "Inclusive Club" and “Paris Sportives” enhance accessibility for people with disabilities and encourage female participation.
