Stratford
Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 5.4.1
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Stratford
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London (Stratford) was developed and constructed for the 2012 Olympic Games. The key features of the development are:
Olympic Park
- An area of 350 hectares of abandoned and derelict land was converted into sports and residential facilities.
- There are 100 hectares of new green space, with 4,000 trees and 600,000 tonnes of soil cleaned (to remove contaminants like arsenic and ammonia).
- 3km of rivers and canals were cleaned and 230,000 cubic metres of contaminated groundwater was removed.
Housing
- The accommodation that was built for Olympic athletes in the Olympic Village was converted into new housing for 2,800 people.
Transport and infrastructure
- The rail, bus and cycle routes in Stratford were improved to cater for the volume of people visiting during the Olympics and for residents afterwards.
- A new rail station was built at Stratford International.
Retail
- A new Westfield shopping centre was constructed within walking distance of the Olympic Park and Olympic Stadium.
Sports facilities
- The Olympic Stadium has become the London Stadium, which is home to West Ham Football Club.
- The London Aquatics Centre has become a public swimming pool.
Culture
- There are plans to build a lot of cultural buildings and experiences in Stratford. These include the Victoria & Albert East museum, Sadler's Wells East, which is a dance theatre and the London College of Fashion.
Stratford - Urban Regeneration
The redevelopment of Stratford illustrates many of the core principles of regeneration.
International impact
- The presence of many MNC retailers like Zara in the Westfield shopping centre illustrates the significance of global influences on places.
- Furthermore, the Olympic Park was primarily built initially to host the Olympics, which is a global competition. London probably only won the rights to host the 2012 Olympics because of good rail, underground and air transport links.
Regeneration strategies
- Stratford has the hallmarks of all four major urban regeneration strategies:
- Sport-led regeneration is clear with the London Stadium, Aquatic Centre and Olympic Games.
- Tourism-led regeneration is evident because the Olympic Park hosted the Olympic Games.
- Retail-led regeneration is shown by the construction of a Westfield shopping centre nearby.
- Culture-led regeneration is shown by the establishment of museums like the Victoria & Albert Museum East nearby.
Win-win redevelopment
- Although, many stakeholders may have attachment and life experiences of the pre-development Stratford, regenerating derelict and unused land is likely to be less controversial than developing other areas.
Test yourself on Stratford
Which football club is the Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford now home to?
How many cubic metres of contaminated groundwater were removed from the Olympic Park in Stratford?
The establishment of museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum East near the Olympic Park is an example of what type of regeneration strategy?