But nearly a decade after London hosted the 2012 Games, Stratford’s regeneration still faces scepticism from local residents and politicians. With ballooning costs, delayed buildings and limited footfall, it seems to have failed to realise the social and economic Olympic legacy intended for host cities.
You mean blowing tens of billions on a drug fest – instead of spending the money on actual redevelopment – isn’t the way to do it?
“it seems to have failed to realise the social and economic Olympic legacy intended for host cities.”
If it lined the pockets of a few opportunists, it did indeed realise its aim. Pile o’ money theory exemplified.
Stratford? Foreign country. Bounded by Pakistan to the East, Bangladesh to the West & Africa & Yiddishstan to the North.
The few people I know in Stratford quite like it. It’s better than it was, Westfield is quite nice. Most of the time the delays seem to come in the form of protest to planning applications.
Blimey! There’s somebody posted who knows what’s to the south of Stratford. Do you want to share? Lost tribes of curiously stunted white people, I’d heard. But there’s been no sightings since the 80’s.
You terrify me. Brisbane is supposed to be stuck with—–ooops host the Olympic Games in 2032.
Still I should be of an age for covid zeta to bump me off by then.
Suaf, Stratford, pickpocketting capital of the UK, shooting, mugging, stabbing rates up there with the very best – you know, Detroit, Cape Town, Rio. 147 different languages spoken and higher rates of Tuberculosis than Yemen. The unemployment rate, one of the reasons for giving the games to Stratford, stayed about the same before, during and after the games.
Stratford shopping centre (the original one, not Westfield) used to resemble the countries largest doss house between 10 at night and 6.30 in the morning. I recall one bloke on roller blades doing a great Torvill and Dean impression in the middle of the shopping centre (without Torvill though).
The ‘athletes’ village – the nearest thing to socialist workers paradise tower blocks outside the former socialist workers paradise of Eastern Europe (I am talking about the external appearance here, not the interiors). The best thing to happen to Stratford was the Luftwaffe.
I used to work in a pub there. Umm, original name was Queen’s Head I think, round the corner from them, umm, The Swan I think? Fun times….
“it seems to have failed to realise the social and economic Olympic legacy intended for host cities.”
Because the social and economic Olympic legacy never happens. The economists who have studied the Olympics and other megaevents were saying this before London.
The last time there was an Olympic legacy was Atlanta in 1996. Because they set up a corporation to run it, who ran the games on the cheap and got some parks and facilities out of it. And that was the last time because the IOC didn’t like how cheap it was, so insisted on the politicians being involved (who will piss money away on it).
I actually live round there. The redeveloped East Village area is very nice. And any low footfall is almost certainly due to the government’s determination to ban tourism, drinking, going outside and generally having any sort of life. It used to be quite busy – and it’s still not empty.
The redevelopment has made North Stratford an excellent place, so it was somewhat successful. South of the railway is a different story…
Whether it was a good use of money is another question entirely. A lot of the redevelopment is essentially subsidised housing and amenities for reasonably well-off professionals.
It’s full of parks, got an amazing shopping centre, lots of housing, is easy to access – what’s wrong with it?
When I think back to how it used to look…
Monument to Toni Blair’s vanity.
The costs of ballooning surely can’t be a significant factor.
The Olympics in London were a famous moment in history.
The war in Troy was a famous moment in equestrianism.