Stratford case study

• Famed for endemic poverty and high crime rates.

• In the 1960s, several docks were built around Rotherhithe in the East End and it became densely populated and multicultural.

They were closed in the 1980s due to a shift to cargo transportation and long-lasting damage from WW2 bombing.

The London Docklands Development Corporation, one of several development coportations established across the UK.

• Completed the construction of luxury housing and the Canary Wharf development -> converted the area into a financial hub

• Built the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to connect the east end to the city centre

It forced many locals out of their generational homes and made the area inaccessible to the working classes.

Olympic Park, Stratford

100,000 (by 2030)

Five new neighbourhoods will have been created in the Park by 2036, with 11,000 affordable homes (1/3 of properties).

• New transport infrastructure, such as the Capital Ring footpath.

• Premium sports facilities.

• A new academy to educate children aged 3-18.

• More green spaces have been introduced.

• Public transport has been improved and expanded.

• Water-efficiency has been incorporated into the designs.

The Olympic Park and the Olympics have arguably changed perceptions of London as a global city, whilst creating a localised and lasting impact on sense of place in communities like Stratford.

• There is now gentrification in some parts of the East End.

• Formation of a new commuter settlement in Stratford.

• There is an increased volume of tourists.

15,700 (as of 2021 census)

55.7% (as of 2021 census). High permanent migration.

48.1% (as of 2021). Low daily/temporary migration.

47.5% (as of 2021).

• Industrialised in the 18th century, and was regarded as the 'factory centre of the south'.

• There are heavy migration flows, with over 10% of people living in the UK for less than 10years. Main non-white group is Asian/Asian British.

• The River Thames forms a key part of the physical environment. The built environment is concrete and industrial.

• High crime rate, with violent and sexual offences making up 18.5% of crimes.

• Industrial decline in the 1980s/90s caused 60% of males to become unemployed and 120,000 jobs to be lost.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

A corporate real estate company focused on creating sustainable community spaces in cities across the US and Europe. The company is owned by Scentre Group, an organisation who operate in Australia and New Zealand.

32,000 jobs are supported by Westfield Stratford, with £13.6 million being spent on training and education.

17 million tourist visitors in 2017, with over £1 billion being generated in retail sales alone.

The majority of tourists come from China, who spend £442 on average when they visit Westfield.

The company has been accused of tax evasion in the USA.

The final development is not the mixed use facility that was promised, which was supposed to include housing and flats as well as shops. In some ways, it excludes local people who live in poverty and creates outsider perspectives.