Thames Gateway Shopping Regeneration
Well how inspiring. The Thames Gateway Forum- How to capitalise on the benefits of the Olympics coming to London, how to regenerate the east of this fabulous city, how to make the most of the River Thames as a tool for regeneration, how to capitalise on the fantastic investment in transport infrastructure that is coming to the east of London.
No not a bit of it- how to develop better shopping centres and create different retail destinations in the eastern part of the city.
Super-Ken offered us the positives at a conference on regenerating the Thames Gateway.
The mayor has given up on industry in the east and he is right, London will never again be a centre for industrial production on any significant scale in this world economy, a sad but brave realisation of how gloablisation will affect our futures. (or is it sad- ever had a manufacturing job? no- well I doubt you want one!). The mayor recognises the service and financial sectors as the future for London employment and is right to critisise the training councils for preparing people only for construction and Mac -jobs.
But moving forward from here other speakers and discussion groups struggled to find anything tangible to say. There is at present no overall leader responsible for this massive and ambitious regeneration project (at present there are more than 28 different agencies fighting for attention and funding across this sub region). Whilst the Olympics now have their sponsor and development leadership, these guys have no remit for the wider regeneration that will be Londons' principle gain from playing host. Without a properly coordinated strategy and priorities this team will find itself in conflict with the multiple regeneraton bodies all seeking different gains and pursuing different objectives.
Other players at the conference were the major property firms who will lead the regeneration projects and soak up the investments in infrastructure and site preparation. Lend Lease, developers of Bluewater ( a prime cause of decline in town centres in the Thames Gateway) suggested that their approach was regenerative and socially minded.
Promoters of Stratford City, a new "Retail City " (twice the size of Bluewater and not in any existing town centre) seek to create a lasting commercial core to the Thames Gateway. The impact of this on older business communities seems to have been glossed over but Stratford City is unlikely to be home to one independent shop, one independent cafe or restaurant, one independent business but will become, as highlighted by others at the conference "High Street Anywhere". Another amorphous retail destination where conformity with the wider UK retail values will be forced upon a diverse and unique London population. Yes it is investment, yes it is jobs ("can I help you madam?), but no it is not a way to regenerate a whole city sector.
It seems that having run out of economic miracles, too much of the regeneration of these areas will be down to the Olympics ( a seventeen day sporting event that will then move on) and "shopping" a rather finite commercial venture that, given the success of internet retailing etc, is unltimately going to be one with a future of shrinking physical requirements.
If Stratford City gets off the ground this will impact significantly on every one of the 100 urban centres and "villages" that were identified in the area in a fairly negative way. This will create a new focus for this part of the city and may finally bring in the visitors and then residents that enjoy the characterless charm of chav shopping destinations. Is this enough to regenerate the area?
I am not, unlike Billy Bragg suggesting that the East of London should be redesigned only for those that already live there. It is the concentration of poor, dissadvantaged and disenfranchised groups in these areas that magnifies their problems.
We have to encourage the mixing of social and racial groups across the city and bring these areas up by mixture of drawing back the richer or wealthier members of our sociaty into these areas that they have left over generations and of skilling and training the next generation of financial markets employees, re-insurance experts, bond traders, oil brokers, dot com millionaires and financail service industry workers from the indigenous east london populations that live so close to the opportunities in the city but are kept out by poor schooling, training and life chances.
Improving the physical environment and providing for new modern cultural needs (shopping centres?) is important in bringing key people back into the area but education, training and concentrating on improving the life chances of the existing population will be the real gain from regeneration and this will not be achieved by creating shopping developments that the existing population can work in but cannot afford to shop in.
No not a bit of it- how to develop better shopping centres and create different retail destinations in the eastern part of the city.
Super-Ken offered us the positives at a conference on regenerating the Thames Gateway.
The mayor has given up on industry in the east and he is right, London will never again be a centre for industrial production on any significant scale in this world economy, a sad but brave realisation of how gloablisation will affect our futures. (or is it sad- ever had a manufacturing job? no- well I doubt you want one!). The mayor recognises the service and financial sectors as the future for London employment and is right to critisise the training councils for preparing people only for construction and Mac -jobs.
But moving forward from here other speakers and discussion groups struggled to find anything tangible to say. There is at present no overall leader responsible for this massive and ambitious regeneration project (at present there are more than 28 different agencies fighting for attention and funding across this sub region). Whilst the Olympics now have their sponsor and development leadership, these guys have no remit for the wider regeneration that will be Londons' principle gain from playing host. Without a properly coordinated strategy and priorities this team will find itself in conflict with the multiple regeneraton bodies all seeking different gains and pursuing different objectives.
Other players at the conference were the major property firms who will lead the regeneration projects and soak up the investments in infrastructure and site preparation. Lend Lease, developers of Bluewater ( a prime cause of decline in town centres in the Thames Gateway) suggested that their approach was regenerative and socially minded.
Promoters of Stratford City, a new "Retail City " (twice the size of Bluewater and not in any existing town centre) seek to create a lasting commercial core to the Thames Gateway. The impact of this on older business communities seems to have been glossed over but Stratford City is unlikely to be home to one independent shop, one independent cafe or restaurant, one independent business but will become, as highlighted by others at the conference "High Street Anywhere". Another amorphous retail destination where conformity with the wider UK retail values will be forced upon a diverse and unique London population. Yes it is investment, yes it is jobs ("can I help you madam?), but no it is not a way to regenerate a whole city sector.
It seems that having run out of economic miracles, too much of the regeneration of these areas will be down to the Olympics ( a seventeen day sporting event that will then move on) and "shopping" a rather finite commercial venture that, given the success of internet retailing etc, is unltimately going to be one with a future of shrinking physical requirements.
If Stratford City gets off the ground this will impact significantly on every one of the 100 urban centres and "villages" that were identified in the area in a fairly negative way. This will create a new focus for this part of the city and may finally bring in the visitors and then residents that enjoy the characterless charm of chav shopping destinations. Is this enough to regenerate the area?
I am not, unlike Billy Bragg suggesting that the East of London should be redesigned only for those that already live there. It is the concentration of poor, dissadvantaged and disenfranchised groups in these areas that magnifies their problems.
We have to encourage the mixing of social and racial groups across the city and bring these areas up by mixture of drawing back the richer or wealthier members of our sociaty into these areas that they have left over generations and of skilling and training the next generation of financial markets employees, re-insurance experts, bond traders, oil brokers, dot com millionaires and financail service industry workers from the indigenous east london populations that live so close to the opportunities in the city but are kept out by poor schooling, training and life chances.
Improving the physical environment and providing for new modern cultural needs (shopping centres?) is important in bringing key people back into the area but education, training and concentrating on improving the life chances of the existing population will be the real gain from regeneration and this will not be achieved by creating shopping developments that the existing population can work in but cannot afford to shop in.
posted by Toomuchgrief at 12:46 PM
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