IT will cost £230million and help create jobs, homes and a lasting legacy for the city.

And today the Evening Times can reveal the striking new images showcasing Glasgow's vision for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. RACHEL LOXTON reports

ACROSS Glasgow venues and landmarks will be transformed if a bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is successful.

The plans show the SECC will host events in six of Glasgow's YOG sports, including judo, wrestling, table tennis and boxing.

While George Square will be turned into beach volleyball courts with a spectator area if the bid gets the green light.

It is just one of the world-class venues to be unveiled by the Glasgow 2018 Bid Team in the race to take home the Games.

Other highlights include Glasgow Green, which is set to be the prime venue for road cycling and the city's newly opened Emirates Arena, which will be the YOG venue for badminton and basketball.

The arena, which was developed as part of a massive regeneration of Glasgow's East End, is linked to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome by the Hub and is one of the largest dedicated indoor sports venues in Europe.

Members of the City of Glasgow Swim Team will today help launch the new bid details at the Tollcross International Aquatics Centre, the latest product of Glasgow's £300million investment in sports infrastructure nearing completion.

Tollcross will stage the swimming at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and is the proposed venue for the YOG swimming, diving and modern pentathlon in 2018.

The council last week approved plans for a permanent extension at Tollcross which would provide space for a diving pool.

All the venues have been earmarked because they perform a vital role in the community. The bid team has also revealed 85% of the planned venues are 20 minutes or less travel time from the Youth Olympic Village.

As reported in the Evening Times on September 7, plans are in place to fast-track a major regeneration of Glasgow's Sighthill after it was decided as the preferred site for the Youth Village.

More than 800 new homes will be built in the area to the north of the city – even if Glasgow loses out in the Games bidding process.

The bid is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and the British Olympic Association.

Gordon Matheson, leader of the council, said the city's investment in sport is already having a positive impact on young people and communities.

He said: "We have invested in the sporting and cultural infrastructure over recent years in order to be capable of hosting world-class events."

The Youth Olympic Games sees the world's best young athletes, aged 15 to 18, compete in all 28 Olympic disciplines over 12 days of competition.

Glasgow was selected by the British Olympic Association to be the UK's chosen candidate city in February and faces competition from Buenos Aires, in Argentina, Guadalajara, in Mexico, Medellín, in Colombia and Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

The winning city will be announced in July.