Beijing making early plans for Olympic legacies

Beijing established a special coordination commission to ensure that its 2022 Winter Olympics leave a legacy for the city. The commission held its first meeting on Thursday.

Beijing is the first city to prepare Olympic legacies at such an early stage since the International Olympic Committee introduced Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations in 2014. The recommendations placed greater emphasis on incorporating legacy planning into the early stages of preparation for the Games.

Zhang Jiandong, executive vice-president of the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, said a legacy plan for the 2022 Winter Games had been formulated, covering 35 fields in seven areas of development: sports, economics, society, culture, environment, city and region.

Zhang, who is also vicemayor of Beijing, said it is important for the capital to create abundant Winter Olympic legacies to bring long-term benefits for the country and people.

Coordinated by 59 departments and bureaus from the central and local governments in Beijing and co-host Hebei province, the coordination commission will discuss the work plan and related policies regarding the legacies of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games.

Under the plan, the popularity of winter sports in China will be one direct legacy from the Games. The organizing committee is encouraging more people to participate in ice and snow sports throughout the country.

In January, Beijing named 52 primary and secondary schools as the first batch targeted to bring winter sports to campuses ahead of the Games. The country’s final goal is to have 300 million people participating in ice and snow activities. A large number winter sports specialists trained for the Games will also be a big part of the legacy.

The environment is to be improved to create a social legacy. Beijing is aiming to strengthen the governance of the environment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Along the Winter Olympics venues, a greenbelt will be set up to protect nearby wetlands and forests. The plan also sees reduced carbon output as a legacy.

A culture and tourism zone covering Beijing and Hebei province will be created to promote the development of cross-cultural Olympic legacies, under the plan.

The legacy plan for the 2022 Winter Games will be released to the public later this month.