Taking place this week in Paris, France, just a few months before the Olympic Games in the French capital, this year’s edition marks the 10th anniversary of the Smart Cities & Sport Summit and focuses on sports events as catalysts for city transformation.
28 November 2023 – Taking part in a Q&A session at the Summit, IOC President Thomas Bach discussed the many benefits already impacting positively the legacy of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“Paris 2024 exemplifies a visionary legacy approach, where planning began well before the Games, as stipulated in our Olympic Agenda 2020,” he said. “The Organising Committee has embraced this new approach in a fantastic way, with the ‘Terre de jeux' programme engaging 4,500 cities and regions and already getting over 600,000 people more active every day.”
President Bach praised the introduction of 30 minutes of daily physical activity in primary schools, “a real contribution to health and social cohesion that will continue after the Games”, and the “Marathon pour tous” initiative, “where for the first time the public will be able to run on the Olympic marathon course”. He also welcomed as “a great legacy for the Paralympic Games” the fact that 3,000 sport clubs in France will be trained to give access to sporting activities to people with a disability.
When it comes to social innovation, President Bach recalled that “the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be younger, more sustainable, more urban and more inclusive than ever”.
“Paris 2024 is committed to addressing major issues outlined in Olympic Agenda, aiming for sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games, where 95 per cent of facilities will either be existing or temporary,” he said.
“The new facilities will address the need for additional infrastructure in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis, including the Olympic Village, which will provide a housing programme,” he continued.
“Paris 2024 also aims to cut carbon emissions by half, surpassing the goal set by the Paris climate agreement and showcasing an impressive achievement in environmental sustainability.”
Speaking about inclusion, President Bach said: “It is at the heart of these Games, as demonstrated by the excellent cooperation between the IOC and IPC, ensuring the organisation of both Games within a single budget.” The IOC is contributing USD 1.7 billion to this budget .
“But most importantly, for the first time ever, the IOC has allocated the same number of quota places for male and female athletes. The Paris 2024 Games will be with full gender parity – this is a good signal to the world,” said the IOC President.
The organisation of sports events creates momentum and, for host cities, is an opportunity to take stock of the existing facilities; assess the short- and long-term solutions; evaluate economic, urban and societal challenges; and plan events that contribute to the transformation of the city in a way that meets local needs, both for the community and the individuals.
Established in 2014, Smart Cities & Sport is an initiative that originates from the group of former and future Olympic host cities. It has since expanded to any cities interested in using sport as a platform for growth and development.
The annual event, an initiative of the World Union of Olympic Cities, targets representatives of cities and regions across the world willing to develop smart strategies that connect sport and cities.
