Stratford case study- changing places

Question 1

Introduction (location/history- endogenous internal factors)

Answer 1

-Stratford is a district located in the East End of London, in the London Borough of Newham.
-Stratford is part of the Lower Lea River Valley, which empties 5 miles south into the River Thames, and was built on the banks of the River Lea, a tributary of the Thames.
-Stratford has an industrial history and suffered extreme deprivation following the closure of the railway in the 1990s, leading to a high unemployment rate of 10%
-This led to the rationale of locating the 2012 London Olympic Games in Stratford to regenatye the deprived East End of London. There were several agents of change involved in this bringing positive and negatives to the area.

Question 2

Demographic/economic characteristics

Answer 2

-Population of 35,000, average age 31
-40.5% born in UK, minority white British (40.8% compared to UK average of 85%)
-15% people on benefits, average salary of £27,000 (cobham £49,000)
-Unemployment rate of 4.9% down from 10% in 1991
-Heavily changing demographic post Olympics- influx of wealthy, young migrants from abroad to fill abundance of skilled jobs in area. Original residents pushed out. Loss of topophilia.

Question 3

Key stats of 2012 Olympics legacy

Answer 3

-470,000 tourists visited during the Olympic season, over 25 million since then
-Cost £9 billion of taxpayers money
-Tourists spent around £700 billion- investment into local area
-Brought green spaces into area, DLR improved transport links
-Westfield Stratford city constructed alongside at a cost of £1.45bn in 2011, provided 10,000 jobs- however less than 10% went to locals.

Question 4

How was London 2012 Olympics sustainable?

Answer 4

-Transport For London invested £6.5 Million into transport infrastructure for 2012 games, 10 railway lines and 30 new bridges now connect London communities.
-£10 million investment to upgrade pedestrian cycling routes
-More than 90% demolition waste was recycled, 62% operationalised waste was reduced, recycled or composted
-To encourage biodiversity 300,000 plants were planted in the Olympic parks wetlands area.
-In addition, over 1000 new trees planted in east London

Question 5

Aims of 2012 Olympics

Answer 5

-To regenerate and transport one of London’s poorest areas
-To create a Games for the world, reflecting Londons diversity
-To inspire young people into taking part in sport
-To create a legacy for East London which would last beyond 2012

Question 6

Did social deprivation improve?

Answer 6

-The East London area, when compared to the rich West London area is still very deprived.
-Waiting list for social housing in Tower Hamlets is around 22,000
-Many of the housing developments are private (only 28% affordable)
-although the unemployment rate in Newham and Tower Hamlets fell, still higher than Londons average

Question 7

Economic pros of Stratford regeneration

Answer 7

-£17 bn invested in public transport, so Stratford is now 2nd most connected part of London
-Revenue generated from selling Olympic venues
-Estimated that Olympic will generate £10bn extra for Uk economy

Question 8

Economic cons of Stratford regeneration

Answer 8

-Olympic stadium estimated to cost £701 million, 3x original estimate
-Total bill was £8.8bn taxpayers money, £5 m over budget
-Rents and property prices resultanly risen ‘displacing locals’- demolition of housing sites such as clays lane

Question 9

Environmental pros of Stratford regeneration

Answer 9

-Olympic site was built on 560 acres brownfield land, previously neglected, unused and contaminated
-Fridge mountain and urban wasteland of lower lea valley cleaned up
-new parks and green spaces

Question 10

House price increase

Answer 10

-House prices have skyrocketed rising 429% since 2000

Question 11

Social issues of Stratford following olympics

Answer 11

-affordable housing reduced by 5%
-% of people recieving benefits doubled
-Newham council had to invest £500,000 to stop homelessness

Question 12

Past connections in Stratford- deindustrialisation, regeneration up to 2012

Answer 12

-In spite of the massive rebuilding after the war, the economic decline continued with the closure of the docks in the 1960s; mass unemployment.
-Economic decline and population decline of 29% in 1960s
-Regeneration started in the 1960s, bringing a shopping centre and London Freight terminal and some employment for locals.
-In the 1990s, Stratford city challange brought new schools, housing, redevelopment

Question 13

Meaning and representation interview quotes

Answer 13

‘’It no longer feels like the east end’’
‘’It feels as though the desirables are being moved out to make way for the desirables’’
‘’The regeneration has swept the real problems under the carpet’’
-Locals opposed to regeneration because of the lack of benefits for themselves

Question 14

Media representation of Stratford

Answer 14

-Stratford and Newham portrayed negatively as an area with high levels of knife and gun crime and gang association
-Newham known as UK’s debt capital, where 25% face debt problems and can’t pay their bills on time- not changed despite high levels of investment arising from Olympics

Question 15

External agents of Stratford regeneration

Answer 15

1) Olympic board and IOC
2) UK Government
3) London development agency
4)Westfield

Question 16

Social benefits of Stratford regeneration

Answer 16

1) Athletes village relaunched as a housing estate called East Village with 8000 homes 40% claimed to be affordable
2) New school called Chobham academy to reduce schooling pressures
3)Acquatics centre now used by the community
4)Unemployment fell across London during the Olympics period

Question 17

Social cons of Stratford regeneration

Answer 17

1) Question whether new housing will actually be affordable, particularly Newham’s poorest households
2)Very few jobs actually created for local people
3)Many boroughs surrounding the Olympic park remain in poverty
4)Social housing (clays lane) demolished to make way for the site- creating diaspora and forcing locals out

Question 18

Pros of Stratford regeneration- economic

Answer 18

1)£17bn invested into public transport, so now the 2nd most connected part of London
2)revenue generated from selling Olympic venues
3)Estimated that Olympics will generate £10bn extra income for UK econonomy

Question 19

House Price and income increase is disproportionate- displacement

Answer 19

-In the last 10 years median household incomes have risen by 15% to around £27,000 but median house prices have jumped to double that percentage.
-Developers are reluctant to construct social housing or ‘affordable housing’ replacing them with luxury high rise tower blocks surrounding Westfield- clear class divide
-led to population displacement of long time locals due to demolition of social housing developments eg. Clays Lane, led to protests, homelessness and social housing waiting lists increasing.

Question 20

Wealth divide

Answer 20

-Wealth has been rapidly increasing on one side of the railway line since the Olympic Games and the construction of Westfield Stratford due to commercialisation and new real estate which has led to the positive multiplier effect on locals and businesses.
-However, despite Westfield creating 10000 jobs, less than 10% have gone to locals and has led to loss of independents and ‘clone town feel’ in original Stratford high street which remains deprived.

Question 21

Issues for low income residents

Answer 21

-One of the key challanges in Stratford is associated with its growth rate- providing housing, facilities etc. to all these new often lower income residents and has resulted in social tensions, segregation and the rise of immigrant ‘enclave’ oppourtunities which shape the nature of Stratford.