Olympic glory and the legacy we leave behind

By : J. David Chapman/April 3, 2025

It was officially announced this week that Oklahoma City will host the canoe slalom and softball competitions for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

It’s an incredible honor—and a massive opportunity.

With international eyes turning our way, we will invest significant public and private dollars to showcase not only the athletes but our city’s capacity to deliver a world-class experience.

But amid the excitement, we must ask a critical question: What comes next?

History offers plenty of examples where host cities built big and thought small—where once-glorious venues became empty relics. Conversely, some cities got it right, designing spaces that continued to serve long after the flame was extinguished.

As planners, developers, and stewards of the built environment, we have a responsibility to think beyond 2028. Every dollar spent and every brick laid should serve not only a two-week spectacle, but a long-term legacy.

In a few short weeks, I’ll travel to London with Dr. Eliot and more than 50 UCO students for our annual London Study Tour and Research Extension. For 16 of those students, their research will focus precisely on this question: What happens after the Games are over?

London, host of the 2012 Summer Olympics, has become a powerful case study in legacy planning. Students will use Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a living laboratory, conducting field research in partnership with colleagues at Coventry University—including Drs. Range, Paffett, and Munden—through our Joint Center for Research. They’ll interview designers, planners, and park users, exploring whether the original intentions for the site have held up. Has the investment led to stronger communities, better housing, and more access to public space?

The primary purpose of this experience is to teach students rigorous and applied research methods—tools they can carry into future careers as planners, designers, and scholars. But along the way, they may uncover insights that help inform how Oklahoma City invests in its Olympic legacy.

OKC has a rare chance to be on the world stage and then use that momentum to build infrastructure that serves generations to come. Imagine trails, parks, riverfront amenities, and venues that become beloved public assets—not cautionary tales.

If we plan it right, the 2028 Olympics won’t just be something we hosted. They’ll be something that changed us for the better.

J. David Chapman, Ph.D., is professor of finance & real estate at The University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).