Paris 2024 Games: 754 competitions and ceremonies, 41 Olympic sites, and 20 Paralympic venues in Paris, involving 10,500 athletes, over 10 million spectators, and 45,000 accredited journalists. Goods: 900,000 pieces of sports equipment, 1.3 million other items, 170,000 pallets, 60,000 luggage, and 14,000 last-mile trips. These figures underscore the immense complexity of organizing such a massive event. Imagine the volume of sporting equipment and goods that must be transported, stored, installed, and dismantled, the countless athletes needing transportation between competition sites scattered around Paris, and the flow of spectators that must be managed.
Sustainability is said to be a core principle of the Paris 2024 Games. The Olympic Organising Committee has committed to hosting the “greenest ever Games,” emphasizing the use of existing or temporary venues to reduce construction-related carbon emissions. How did they get there?
APUR report 2019: benchmarking best practices
In 2019, Apur produced a benchmark of innovative practices in urban logistics, using the Paris 2024 Games to accelerate experimentation and innovation in logistics as a future legacy. The organization of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games represents an unparalleled logistics challenge that must be integrated into this context and an active metropolis with a dense population.
With the flow of materials used for work on construction and site facilities and the flow of merchandise circulating during the event, the Games’ logistics and the villages’ urban logistics can contribute directly to the exemplary environmental objectives of the event but also as heritage.
The APUR study has four main chapters:
- The organization of logistics in Grand Paris.
- The needs assessment for urban logistics during the construction phase.
- The needs assessment of the logistics flow on the various Olympic sites during the summer of 2024.
- The Olympic Games innovation accelerators for urban logistics and the Building and Public Works Companies BTP.
To accompany the thought process of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Organisation Committee, Apur has listed a series of measures that favor better integrated urban logistics that take into consideration environmental issues in a collection of good practices. This document gives information on measures and systems that can be reproduced and adapted. It is structured around six lines of action:
- The organization of remote logistics
- Mobile and temporary storage
- Modal shift towards inland waterway transport
- A modal shift toward rail transport
- Cargo bike logistics and last kilometre logistics
- Raising the general public’s awareness of the impact of logistics.
It would be interesting to see what was realized from this initiative in preparing for and during the Paris 2024 Games.
Logistics partner CMA CGM Group
The CMA CGM Group, including CEVA Logistics, is the Official Partner in Logistics Solutions of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They handle the transport and logistics of the goods, equipment, and materials required for the event’s success at the Olympic and Paralympic sites. The Paris Games 2024 is leveraging cutting-edge technology to streamline logistics operations. From AI-powered traffic management systems to blockchain-based supply chain solutions, technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth execution of the games.
Three more than 80,000 m² logistics platforms are being created in the Paris region. They allow for the reception, storage, preparation, and customs clearance of goods and equipment from the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and the Olympic family. One of these sites hosts furniture, athletes’ sports equipment, medical equipment, and other goods, while another stores additional logistics for the transition and dismantling phases of the Olympic and Paralympic sites. Emission-free vehicles, late-night deliveries, digital tools, dedicated warehouses, traffic management, and more are all utilized to ensure sustainable and effective logistics operations during Paris 2024.
Transportation challenges and solutions
One of the critical aspects of logistics for the Olympics is transportation. With over 10,000 athletes, countless officials, and millions of spectators expected, Paris’s transportation system faces a challenge. To address this, the city has placed special measures:
- Dedicated Olympic Lanes: Specific lanes on major roads are reserved for Olympic vehicles, ensuring that athletes and officials can travel quickly between venues without regular traffic delays.
- Traffic Management: Advanced traffic management systems monitor and control the flow of vehicles. These include real-time traffic updates and intelligent traffic signals that adapt to current conditions.
- Sustainable Mobility: To promote sustainable transportation, the city has expanded its network of bike lanes and introduced electric buses. These efforts aim to reduce the event’s carbon footprint while providing efficient transportation options.
Source: APUR, Ceva Logistics, and Denholm Good Logistics