UCO’s London Research Tour – 2025
By : J. David Chapman/May 15, 2025
I’m writing this week’s column from a transatlantic flight aboard a Boeing 777 bound for London. Alongside me are 16 student researchers and Dr. Jason Eliot from the University of Central Oklahoma, all part of our annual London Research Tour. Over the past decade, this program has provided students with rare, hands-on opportunities to study the built environment and its effects on urban life.
Each year, our research focus shifts to reflect both local and global planning challenges. In past trips, we’ve explored redevelopment projects, the role of privately-owned public places (POPs), third places, and the complex relationship between gentrification and neighborhood change. This year, however, the timing couldn’t be better: with Oklahoma City officially set to host two events during the 2028 Olympic Games, we’ve selected Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park—the site of the 2012 London Olympics—as the focus of our research.
Our central question: What becomes of Olympic venues once the crowds are gone and the cameras turned off? Olympic host cities often promise lasting community benefits and transformational infrastructure, but history shows mixed results. Some sites thrive, becoming vibrant public assets; others sit empty, deteriorating into underused or obsolete facilities.
We’ll begin our time in London at Coventry University’s London campus, where students will receive foundational training in research design, methodology, and analysis. Sessions will be led by a distinguished group of Coventry faculty: Daniel Range, David McIlhatton, Emily Paffett, Aurelie Broeckerhoff and Hanna Munden.
Following this academic foundation, we’ll head into the field. Our first site visit is a walk-and-talk tour of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, led by Gabrielle S.D. Weiss, Senior Landscape Design Manager at the London Legacy Development Corporation. Her insights will frame our inquiry into whether the park’s long-term use aligns with the vision outlined before the 2012 Games.
From there, students will conduct interviews, engage in on-site observation, and analyze how the park is being used today. Their work will culminate in presentations to peers and professors, reflecting not only what they’ve learned about Olympic legacy planning, but also what lessons might be applicable to Oklahoma City.
Ultimately, while the research may offer insights into how OKC can better plan for its Olympic moment, the true goal is educational. This experience equips our students with the critical research skills and real-world perspective needed to shape the cities of tomorrow.
J. David Chapman, Ph.D., is a professor of finance & real estate at The University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).