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Regenerating London: to think big, think small Regenerating London: to think big, think small
(6 months later)
Three weeks ago East End MP Rushanara Ali remembered her childhood in Tower Hamlets, "seeing the glittering towers of Canary Wharf rise." She also recalled a newspaper headline from 2010, the year she was elected to represent Bethnal Green and Bow: something along the lines of, "The East End - Where The Money And Power Is Shifting." But, Ali said, that headline raised big questions that aren't get any smaller, post-Olympics. Where is the money and power going? How much is it being shared? Are local people benefiting?Three weeks ago East End MP Rushanara Ali remembered her childhood in Tower Hamlets, "seeing the glittering towers of Canary Wharf rise." She also recalled a newspaper headline from 2010, the year she was elected to represent Bethnal Green and Bow: something along the lines of, "The East End - Where The Money And Power Is Shifting." But, Ali said, that headline raised big questions that aren't get any smaller, post-Olympics. Where is the money and power going? How much is it being shared? Are local people benefiting?
She painted a perturbing picture, the more so for not being new. Ali argued that Canary Wharf had indeed helped London's financial sector and the capital's economy as a whole, but that "there were many, many losers as well as winners." She added that in terms of local jobs, "it's still the case that only five or six percent of people from East London work in Canary Wharf and not all of them are long term residents." She stressed that she welcomed newcomers, but, "Even so, we must not make the same mistakes in the next 10 or 15 years as we've made in the past."She painted a perturbing picture, the more so for not being new. Ali argued that Canary Wharf had indeed helped London's financial sector and the capital's economy as a whole, but that "there were many, many losers as well as winners." She added that in terms of local jobs, "it's still the case that only five or six percent of people from East London work in Canary Wharf and not all of them are long term residents." She stressed that she welcomed newcomers, but, "Even so, we must not make the same mistakes in the next 10 or 15 years as we've made in the past."
The East End and the Olympic Park within it provide a giant test case of regeneration ambitions, approaches and outcomes. Historically poor, the area's (relatively) cheap and vacant land offers continuing potential for redevelopment and with it London's centre of economic gravity shifting strongly east.The East End and the Olympic Park within it provide a giant test case of regeneration ambitions, approaches and outcomes. Historically poor, the area's (relatively) cheap and vacant land offers continuing potential for redevelopment and with it London's centre of economic gravity shifting strongly east.
The Olympics have been just the most conspicuous part of a far longer process covering a much more territory than the park, out to the Thames Gateway and eventually, if Boris Johnson gets his way, to a new international airport in the estuary. Johnson's predecessor, Ken Livingstone, saw hosting the Olympics as a golden money magnet. West Ham's confirmation as the stadium's future main tenant is a big, symbolic piece in a giant regeneration jigsaw that politicians, planners and property investors will continue assembling for a long time to come.The Olympics have been just the most conspicuous part of a far longer process covering a much more territory than the park, out to the Thames Gateway and eventually, if Boris Johnson gets his way, to a new international airport in the estuary. Johnson's predecessor, Ken Livingstone, saw hosting the Olympics as a golden money magnet. West Ham's confirmation as the stadium's future main tenant is a big, symbolic piece in a giant regeneration jigsaw that politicians, planners and property investors will continue assembling for a long time to come.
Some continue to question the "regeneration games," and not only career naysayers and literati grime tourists. Businessman Lance Forman, who fought Livingstone and Sebastian Coe over the eviction of his smoked salmon factory from a spot that now lies at the stadium's heart, now looks across from his new base on the bank of the Lea canal and wonders if the territory wouldn't have regenerated anyway, without £9b of taxpayer outlay. Also cleared from the site were two travellers' sites, a housing estate and - seemingly of greatest concern to much of the media – allotments whose users included fashionable restauranteurs.Some continue to question the "regeneration games," and not only career naysayers and literati grime tourists. Businessman Lance Forman, who fought Livingstone and Sebastian Coe over the eviction of his smoked salmon factory from a spot that now lies at the stadium's heart, now looks across from his new base on the bank of the Lea canal and wonders if the territory wouldn't have regenerated anyway, without £9b of taxpayer outlay. Also cleared from the site were two travellers' sites, a housing estate and - seemingly of greatest concern to much of the media – allotments whose users included fashionable restauranteurs.
But while the case against the Olympics endures beyond the fortnight of sport - and I've always been a deep-down sceptic - it is already being tested by history. Soon the park will re-open to the first of the millions of visitors who will enjoy it for decades, if not centuries, to come. Can we already judge it unjustified that they, along with the droves who will flock to watch the football, live in the new homes (including those for social rent and, potentially, on a community land trust) and attend the new school, will enjoy such pleasures and opportunities? Will long-term gain justify shorter term pain? How should "gain' be defined?But while the case against the Olympics endures beyond the fortnight of sport - and I've always been a deep-down sceptic - it is already being tested by history. Soon the park will re-open to the first of the millions of visitors who will enjoy it for decades, if not centuries, to come. Can we already judge it unjustified that they, along with the droves who will flock to watch the football, live in the new homes (including those for social rent and, potentially, on a community land trust) and attend the new school, will enjoy such pleasures and opportunities? Will long-term gain justify shorter term pain? How should "gain' be defined?
The balance sheet is complex and, in terms of the "legacy" promises made, has barely begun to be compiled. Rushanara Ali's remarks underline that it is very much a political battleground, a profoundly contested one, and that the struggle to control it in the interests of those who most need improvements in their lives will be long and difficult.The balance sheet is complex and, in terms of the "legacy" promises made, has barely begun to be compiled. Rushanara Ali's remarks underline that it is very much a political battleground, a profoundly contested one, and that the struggle to control it in the interests of those who most need improvements in their lives will be long and difficult.
She was speaking at a conference held in Newham by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies [CLES], which explored how an Olympic legacy can best be delivered for East London's people, especially in the context of austerity. An advance article in the CLES's New Start magazine by another of the conference's contributors, Renaisi director Kirby Swales, sketched a background of rapid demographic and social change over the past ten years: huge population growth in both the inner and outer East London boroughs; big increases in ethnic diversity, flat-dwelling and private rented sector housing; a significant drop in average age.She was speaking at a conference held in Newham by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies [CLES], which explored how an Olympic legacy can best be delivered for East London's people, especially in the context of austerity. An advance article in the CLES's New Start magazine by another of the conference's contributors, Renaisi director Kirby Swales, sketched a background of rapid demographic and social change over the past ten years: huge population growth in both the inner and outer East London boroughs; big increases in ethnic diversity, flat-dwelling and private rented sector housing; a significant drop in average age.
Swales identified some evidence of progress towards the Olympic host boroughs' common goal of economic and social "convergence" with the rest of London, but thought it likely this was "largely driven by demographic change rather than improving skills and employment rates for existing residents." While many parts of East London have become more desirable and gentrified, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Hackney were the English local authorities with the highest levels of multiple deprivation.Swales identified some evidence of progress towards the Olympic host boroughs' common goal of economic and social "convergence" with the rest of London, but thought it likely this was "largely driven by demographic change rather than improving skills and employment rates for existing residents." While many parts of East London have become more desirable and gentrified, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Hackney were the English local authorities with the highest levels of multiple deprivation.
Changes in the housing market have increased polarization, wrote Swales, "between, those with the ever-higher incomes to afford private sector housing and those that are eligible for social housing," and "further reduced the potential for East London to house those on middle incomes." He thought, "the outward movement of deprivation to places like Barking and Dagenham," was probably explained by the same thing.Changes in the housing market have increased polarization, wrote Swales, "between, those with the ever-higher incomes to afford private sector housing and those that are eligible for social housing," and "further reduced the potential for East London to house those on middle incomes." He thought, "the outward movement of deprivation to places like Barking and Dagenham," was probably explained by the same thing.
Swales questioned if growth in the East End was being managed and harnessed as effectively as it could be in terms of helping local people, asking if too much development was "property-led" rather than "community-led." Ali told the conference that East London should consider itself "very lucky" to have received so much investment in recent times – not only the Olympics input, but also the Westfield shopping mall, the Jubilee Line links and Crossrail on the way – and said that many local people were "very proud" to have had the Games in their backyard. But lessons from the past had to be learned if that investment and that Games time spirit were to benefit them to the full. "The number of legacy jobs is going to be huge," she said, but far more needed to be done to ensure that East Enders get a good share of them. There is, she said, "A shortage of intermediary organisations that understand the issues facing people on the ground."Swales questioned if growth in the East End was being managed and harnessed as effectively as it could be in terms of helping local people, asking if too much development was "property-led" rather than "community-led." Ali told the conference that East London should consider itself "very lucky" to have received so much investment in recent times – not only the Olympics input, but also the Westfield shopping mall, the Jubilee Line links and Crossrail on the way – and said that many local people were "very proud" to have had the Games in their backyard. But lessons from the past had to be learned if that investment and that Games time spirit were to benefit them to the full. "The number of legacy jobs is going to be huge," she said, but far more needed to be done to ensure that East Enders get a good share of them. There is, she said, "A shortage of intermediary organisations that understand the issues facing people on the ground."
The lesson seems to be that extracting the best from London's big regeneration landscapes, not least the biggest of all, means thinking smaller about them; thinking more from the ground up and less from the top down; thinking more about how change and growth are made the best of at neighbourhood level; thinking less about growth as an end in itself and more about the sort of place we want the East End and all of London to grow into. Thinking, and acting too.The lesson seems to be that extracting the best from London's big regeneration landscapes, not least the biggest of all, means thinking smaller about them; thinking more from the ground up and less from the top down; thinking more about how change and growth are made the best of at neighbourhood level; thinking less about growth as an end in itself and more about the sort of place we want the East End and all of London to grow into. Thinking, and acting too.
Coming next: gentrification happens: get using it.Coming next: gentrification happens: get using it.
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