The 2010 Vancouver Olympic legacy — as seen from space
Credit to Author: Nathan Griffiths| Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:00:15 +0000
Wednesday, Feb. 12, marks 10 years since the start of the 2010 Winter Games. The $6–billion mega-event fast–tracked road and rail projects, sports centres and housing development, dramatically altering the landscape of the region. The satellite images below show Olympic sites before construction began and how they appear now — a legacy seen from space.
The Games spurred extensive development at the east end of False Creek on a polluted, vacant block of industrial land. Initial plans to include about 700 units of social housing failed to fully materialize. Today, there are only 126 units amidst market condos and waterfront parks. The land around the village, worth $198 million in 2006, was assessed in 2020 at $2 billion.
Ridership on the $2–billion rapid-transit line hit 100,000 daily riders within a year of opening — three years ahead of plan. 2018 saw 48 million boardings on the line, another record. The line also drove a wave of development and speculation along the route that critics say contributed to gentrification, displacement of lower–income residents, and the loss of local small businesses that could have been managed with better planning and zoning by the city.
The $600–million highway upgrade from Vancouver to Whistler carved a path across Eagleridge Bluffs, drawing protests during construction by locals who wanted the area preserved. A government report suggested a short tunnel under the bluffs, while more expensive, would have limited environmental damage and preserved animal habitat and recreational use. The upgrade did improve safety on the notoriously dangerous highway and has helped drive tourism along the route to Whistler.
The $883–million Vancouver Convention Centre expansion was completed in 2009 and it was the world’s first double LEED Platinum-certified convention facility. It served as the main media centre during the Games and the Olympic cauldron was installed in the neighbouring Jack Poole Plaza, where it remains as a permanent landmark. Two-thirds of the structure extends over the ocean and the building features a six-acre green roof — the largest in Canada — which is irrigated with water recycled from the building.
Built next to a former mine site, part of the village was converted into housing reserved for locals following the Games, with more housing planned. It was “critical” to ensure housing was a permanent legacy of the Games, said Whistler’s mayor, Jack Crompton.
One of the few venues built entirely from scratch, the $105–million sliding centre ran into controversy on opening day of the Games, when Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed after he lost control during a training run and flew off the track. During the track’s 2009 certification, it was noted that the track produced speeds exceeding the design and a B.C. Coroners report cited high speed as a contributing factor in the accident.
The track was adjusted following the accident and has since hosted numerous national and international events, including summer-time Toonie Rides, where cyclists ride up to the top of the Sliding Centre.
The oval was converted into a multi–sport community and wellness centre following the Games. Built on an underutilized brownfield site that was primarily home to an RV park, the $64-million building received Silver LEED certification and has seen 8.1 million visitors since opening following the Games.
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