The impact of the London Olympics on the Lower Lea: regeneration lost and found?

This article considers how the development of the Olympic Park for the London 2012 Games recast the already complex governance arrangements for regeneration in the area around the site, creating a new set of relationships between government, local stakeholders and the wider public. The tension between effective top-down delivery arrangements and ‘bottom-up’ regeneration is reviewed through a brief case study of changing governance arrangements in the Lower Lea in the decade between bidding and hosting the 2012 Games. Evidence is drawn from the author's reflections on his professional work in the area and from a literature review, including public reports, and documentation of meetings, events and processes. A limited number of interviews with fellow practitioners were held. Tentative conclusions are drawn about how, in similar large-scale projects in the future, the process might be better managed to minimise the necessary disruption to local engagement in the formative stages, moving quickly to ...