Pride London
Date: 5 July 2008
Time: 12.00pm - 8.00pm
Location: Trafalgar Square
On Saturday 5 July we visited Trafalgar Square to join the celebrations at Pride Festival. Below Nelson’s column almost 300 people told us what they thought should happen in the Olympic Park after the Games.
The pan-London audience at Pride had a wide and varied range of ideas and comments including ways in which the Games can help improve and alleviate some of the problems local to East London, the importance of creating a sustainable place, as well as the need for sporting and other opportunities/facilities for young people.
At Pride we had all of our bike displays and interactive panels as well as the Olympic Park masterplanning game to get people thinking about how they thought the Park should be laid out. Some of the interesting comments included:
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“The need to accommodate 7000 people is not an easy task. It is important to plan strategic geographical routes.”
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“In the area close to the Olympic Park there should be enough space to create play areas for children, good transport links and hospitals, as well as business opportunities n order to avoid unemployment. The houses shouldn't be too big and they should be in a quiet area.”
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“Good game - great to speak to young people who are knowledgeable about the games! Maybe British sport and an outdoor ice rink which could be an outdoor pool in the summer?”
We also wanted to know if people had any big ideas for the Park and here are a selection of comments:
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“Monorail system round the Olympic Park, linking with other transport.”
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“A free adventure playground for teenagers, with swings, ziplines etc. I teach teenagers and think they would really benefit from structured play opportunities. The playground could be staffed/supervised and incorporate wildlife garden areas/green space to make teenagers feel as if they're away from the urban environment.”
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“Make the Olympics as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. Encourage all visitors to be mindful of their impact. Ensure that all suppliers have, and practice, grounded sustainability strategies.”
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“A wildlife pond that you can swim in, like Hampstead, with underground viewing windows like at Seaworld. The emphasis should be on re-introducing wildlife back into the area like frogs and newts.”
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“A vibrant community and shops, and local and fulfilling jobs for men and women.”
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“I would like better cycling roads in London.”
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“Clean and green East London”
For more information and photos about our roadshow and masterplanning game, please click here.
