Delivering the Games is one thing. Delivering long-term value is another. For Brisbane 2032, legacy planning must begin now while the concrete is still dry.
Introduction: The Real Test Comes After the Flame
Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is one of the biggest opportunities a city—and a nation—can have. It brings infrastructure investment, international attention, and national pride.
But the real success of Brisbane 2032 won’t be measured in medals. It will be measured in what’s left behind—the jobs, the infrastructure, the spaces, and the systems that shape Queensland and Australia for decades to come.
At Xsentia, we’ve worked across Olympic legacy sites, community sport infrastructure and major event precincts. We know that what’s built for 17 days must work for 30 years. Here’s how that legacy can be made real—and what risks we need to avoid.
Legacy Starts in Design, Not Decommissioning
Too many host cities treat legacy as an afterthought—something to manage once the Games are over.
But world-class legacies are planned early. That means:
- Embedding post-Games use cases into precinct designs
- Aligning venues with local sporting needs and demographics
- Designing for modularity, sustainability and conversion
- Ensuring transport, housing, and public space upgrades serve locals, not just tourists
- Clarifying ownership, funding and operational roles well before handover
The Olympic flame may only burn for a fortnight—but the decisions made now will shape communities for decades.
What Legacy Actually Means
It’s easy to throw around the word “legacy”. But we define it through four key lenses:
| Type of Legacy | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Sporting Legacy | Upgraded community facilities, high-performance centres, participation growth |
| Social Legacy | Improved inclusion, better access, health outcomes, club growth |
| Economic Legacy | Local jobs, precinct activation, tourism, new industries (e.g. adaptive sports) |
| Environmental Legacy | Net Zero-ready infrastructure, green corridors, resilient design |
All four are connected—and all must be accounted for in planning, funding and project governance.
The Venue Legacy Challenge
There’s a reason Olympic host cities have a mixed track record. Venues built for elite competition often don’t align with long-term community or commercial use.
Examples of legacy failures:
- Stadiums too large or specialised for local sports
- Venues left idle due to unclear ownership or funding
- Lack of adaptability for other sports or events
- Operational costs exceeding post-Games revenue
- Misaligned precincts with poor public transport or access
Brisbane 2032 has a chance to get this right—but it will require early and honest decisions about scale, adaptability and responsibility.
What Success Could Look Like
Imagine if Brisbane 2032 left behind:
- Community hubs that double as Games training centres and local club facilities
- Smart lighting and turf systems designed for long-term operational efficiency
- Facilities co-located with schools or health providers
- Integrated public transport upgrades that improve everyday mobility
- Inclusive infrastructure that lifts participation for women, para-athletes and CALD communities
- Legacy coordinators funded to oversee precinct use beyond 2033
That’s not fantasy—it’s feasible, if embedded now.
International Lessons
Other cities have shown us what works—and what doesn’t.
| Host City | Legacy Outcome |
|---|---|
| London 2012 | Stratford transformed into a thriving mixed-use precinct, with schools, housing and sport integrated into a lasting community hub |
| Barcelona 1992 | Used the Games to catalyse long-overdue urban renewal, particularly along the waterfront |
| Rio 2016 | Several venues now abandoned; lack of funding, purpose or integration |
| Sydney 2000 | Mixed legacy; while some venues thrive (e.g. Sydney Olympic Park), others faced years of underuse before repurposing |
The difference? Early precinct planning, governance models, and investment alignment.
Risks We Need to Act On Now
With seven years to go, there is still time to act on key risks:
| Risk | Response |
|---|---|
| Venue overbuild | Prioritise multi-use, right-sized, flexible infrastructure |
| Under-utilisation post-Games | Align venue design with local and regional sport needs |
| Funding vacuum post-2032 | Create legacy operation trusts or forward-funded O&M programs |
| Lack of community access | Embed shared use in lease, programming and design structures |
| Environmental greenwashing | Mandate verifiable Net Zero benchmarks and design for resilience |
At Xsentia, we’ve seen these risks play out at smaller scales—and we know they scale with complexity. Legacy isn’t just about optimism. It’s about rigour.
🧭 What Governments, Partners and Councils Can Do
To support real legacy, all levels of government and project partners must:
- Define what success looks like in 2042—not just 2032
- Engage stakeholders now—especially local councils, clubs, schools and health providers
- Design precincts for post-Games use—not just broadcast needs
- Fund legacy activation—not just bricks and mortar
- Create governance models—that extend beyond delivery consortia or bid teams
- Measure impact—build reporting frameworks for participation, equity and economic outcomes
We can’t leave this to chance. Or to the next team.
🔧 How We’re Supporting Legacy Now
Xsentia is already working on:
- Business cases and feasibility studies for precincts that align with 2032 needs
- Precinct overlays to show how elite and community uses can co-exist
- Legacy mapping workshops with government agencies
- Operational models for post-event use of community-integrated infrastructure
- Funding alignment advice for State and Local Government submissions
- Sporting code engagement to map future usage scenarios
We’re also using our experience from AFL facility strategy, Windy Hill redevelopment and multi-code community precincts to inform scalable, post-Games-ready solutions.
Building Legacy Into the Procurement Pipeline
One of the smartest ways to ensure legacy is to bake it into the procurement brief.
That means requiring bidders to show:
- How venues will scale down after 2032
- How local jobs, apprenticeships and training will be delivered
- How venues will be shared between sport and other community needs
- How digital infrastructure and sustainability benchmarks will be managed post-Games
- What governance will look like when the IOC has left
Legacy isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about who controls it, who programs it, and who pays for it.
The Gold Medal Isn’t the Finish Line
Brisbane 2032 presents an incredible opportunity—not just for Queensland, but for the entire country.
But Olympic-sized opportunity comes with Olympic-sized responsibility.
The good news? We know what works. We know what doesn’t. And we have time to get it right.
The question isn’t whether we’ll deliver a great Games. We will.
The question is: will it still matter ten years later?
At Xsentia, we’re committed to helping ensure the answer is yes.
Suggested Images
- Concept render of a Brisbane 2032 venue alongside community sports use
- Aerial overlay showing post-Games precinct reactivation
- Xsentia-led community or club workshop image
- Comparative photo: thriving vs abandoned Olympic legacy site
- Adaptive use diagram: e.g. velodrome → community fitness hub
