ABSTRACT
London 2012 and Munich 1972 intended to create sustainable urban legacies by integrating the Olympic Games into long-term urban development strategies. Even though no legacy concept existed in Munich in 1972, detailed plans were in place for the post-Games use of the athletes' accommodation, the Olympic park and most sport facilities. Munich's legacy plans were grounded in the idealistic urban planning ideals of the late 1960s with their belief in technical solutions for social problems typical of modernity. The Olympia Park in Munich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London provide venues for sport and other events set within new urban parklands and they link previously existing, but disjointed green spaces. The experience of Munich shows that creating lasting legacies from mega-events requires long-term financial commitment and governance structures. The chapter shows that the Olympic Games in Munich 1972 and London 2012 were born out of different historical and urban planning contexts and were grounded in opposed urban models.
