The plan for the 2012 London Olympics’ park are taking into consideration a climate-changed future. The site for the games is located adjacent to the Lea River, and widening of the river is an element of the plan in order to anticipate increased flooding due to climate change.

MIT Technology Review reveals that the planners ran hydrological models to determine the ultimate width of the river as well as river crossings and catchment areas.

Equally important in London’s climate-minded preparation is the post-Olympics plan for the region. Housing for 17,000 athletes will become housing for 4,000 families; plazas will become parklands. The plan includes highly efficient housing powered partly by a wind turbine and biomass plant, with pedestrian links across the river connecting to transit stations, and new amenities like schools and shops

The London Thames Gateway Forum (LTGF) has been engaged with the site planning process. This group reports that the planning application for the site is one of the largest ever prepared in the country. The 15-volume, 10,000-page document details both site preparation and venue construction.

The organizing committee is also working closely with the World Wildlife Fund to make the games “fully sustainable.” The steps of WWF’s One Planet Living campaign are being used to guide the planning process. The 10 guidelines of this campaign are:

One Planet Living “aims to create a world in which people everywhere can lead happy, healthy lives within their fair share of the Earth’s resources.” The 10 guidelines to One Planet Living that can help accomplish this aim, are:

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