Excursion to East London

Urban Agendas caught between local needs and global pressures

1 2 Imprint

Publisher: Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space Faculty for Architecture and Planning, TU Wien Karlsgasse 13/2 e280 a-1040 Wien http://skuor.tuwien.ac.at/en/

Excursion to South-East London – Urban Agendas caught between local needs and global pressures (TISS 280.525)

Edited by: Sabine Knierbein Elina Kränzle Ed Wall

Contributions by: Anasztazia Hujvan Michael Kerschbaumer Christina Birret Oleksandr Zelinskyi Clemens Lippl Olivia Tomasi Fabienne Mühlbacher Sandra Strasek Friedrich Bledl Tatsuki Nishida Natalia Matviishyn Tinghan Zhou Manzhu Li Tomoko Okada Maowen Luo Veera Jääskeläinen

Desgin and Typesetting: Oleksandr Zelinskyi

ISBN 978-3-902707-42-0

3 Table of contents

Preface, p.5

Shortage of affordable and available workspace in London, p.6 Friedrich Bledl Veera Jääskeläinen Oleksandr Zelinskyi

Contested Community Spaces, p.10 Anasztazia Hujvan Natalia Matviishyn

Design, community,participation, p.13 Christina Birret Sandra Strasek

Housing activism, p.17 Fabienne Mühlbacher Maowen Luo Manzhu Li

Corporate placemaking in London, p.22 Michael Kerschbaumer Clemens Lippl Tinghan Zhou

Socio-spatial impacts of Olympic Games, p.27 Tatsuki Nishida Tomoko Okada Olivia Tomasi

Acknowledgement, p.32

4 Preface

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Map of places visited during excursion

In collaboration with the City of Vienna Visiting Professor Ed Wall the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space organizes a five-day excursion to London (UK) from 5th to 9th Feburary 2018. To close the City of Vienna Visiting Professorship of 2017/2018 we will explore the theme of Urban Equity and the Global Agenda through various projects, streets and sites in London’s East.

By undertaking various field visits to detect specific London problematics (e.g. dwelling crisis, squats in patios, insurgencies against developers projects, art and architectural intervention) we will shift between – and thus question conceptions of – center and periphery, innovative projects/ buildings and neighbourhoods resisting gentrification, global developments and local initiatives. Together with local architects, planners and residents we will explore Greenwich, Lewisham, Whitechapel, and the Isle of Dogs with their fascinating contrast of neighbourhoods, housing, public spaces and histories.

The excursion will involve a seminal part where further UK based SKuOR Visiting Professors (Sophie Watson, Maria Kaika, Chiara Tornaghi, and others) will be invited to contribute perspectives on isuses of localism, multiculturalism, food justice and political ecology. We thereby take the opportunity to discuss the spatial impacts and implications of BREXIT and changing geopolitical power relations through the lense of urban studies.

5 Shortage of affordable and available workspace in London Friedrich Bledl Veera Jääskeläinen Oleksandr Zelinskyi

Tiny work spaces, by Fabienne Mühlbacher

Land values in London have been rising steadily over the Furthermore, additional residential developments past decades. Various factors can be held responsible are predominantly planned in London boroughs with for this development, including a rapid growth in extensive commercial and industrial land (Ferm 2018). population as well as increased speculation on Hence, both market forces and planning policy have property. This has drastically limited the availability and caused a stark decline of business space and industrial affordability of business space, threatening London’s land in London over the past years. This has particularly economic performance as well as the economic affected small or low value businesses, which struggle foundation of communities across the city. This essay to compete on the city’s property market (Ferm & shall give reasons for this development and summarize Jones 2017). Small units in low-cost commercial current policy approaches aiming to tackle the problem. areas which used to be unattractive for housing are It will then focus on charitable projects in Dalston that particularly under threat to be displaced by mixed and pursue a more bottom-up and community-led approach. residential uses. Such projects have not only resulted As in other major cities, housing has become significantly in a net loss of workspace, they also set precedents more profitable to develop than business spaces. for other developments in surrounding areas, hence Additionally, policymakers aim to make more efficient causing direct and indirect displacement (Ferm 2016). use of land, prioritising brownfield over greenfield sites However, London depends on available commercial and rigorously protecting the Green Belt. Hence, UK- space in order to provide essential goods and services and London planning policy has increasingly promoted to residents and other businesses. This has partly been mixed-use developments instead of protecting business recognized by planners at both borough and London- areas, with the exception of some protected industrial wide level. The new London Plan engages boroughs sites. More recently, landlords have been enabled to to protect low-value business space and aims to transfer office and light industrial land to residential strictly prevent any further net loss of industrial land. uses without applying for planning permission. 6 Simultaneously, it seeks to intensify industry sites and support local start-ups, social enterprises, charities enable co-location of industrial and residential units (GLA and businesses (Bootstrap Company). Today it is not 2017). Although priority is given to commercial uses, it just a workspace but also a community space with remains questionable whether businesses can adjust to a total of 60.000 square feet and a range of over intensified sites widely contrasting their usual locations. 200 tenants, including offices and manufacturing sites such as a bakery and micro-brewery. Some boroughs have introduced policies requiring mixed-use developments to provide below market-rent The charity supports businesses and other charities workspace that is affordable for low-value businesses. by providing and managing workspaces as well as These policies aim at supporting creative businesses supporting enterprises through events or advice. that may have specific social, cultural or educational Initially, Bootstrap offered below-market rents to its purposes (GLA 2017), although the types of businesses tenants, as aimed by affordable workspace policies. In targeted vary across London. Developers of mixed- 2016, they were forced to start charging market rates use schemes usually rent out a proportion of their following radical rent increases imposed on themselves building to a workspace provider at reduced rates, by some landowners. In addition, it had proved difficult which then sublets to businesses. In reality, planning for some of Bootstrap’s mainly short-term tenants, obligations to provide affordable workspace have not which usually move their company after a while in order prevented an overall reduction in employment space. to expand, to survive in real world conditions (Patel To the contrary, below-market-rate workspace within 2018). This demonstrates another general weakness mixed used-schemes on former commercial sites of below market-rent workspaces. As a replacement, has been used to justify a reduction of commercial the Bootstrap Fund was set up to subsidize tenants land. Rental agreements proposed in such schemes which have a positive social impact and hence are often not attractive to businesses, being either require special support. Furthermore, rental income too strict or not actually affordable (Ferm 2016). enables Bootstrap to fund an educational programme and community events (Bootstrap Company). In reaction to the chronic shortage of affordable workspace, initiatives with strong local ties have The Dalston area has underwent massive transformations turned their focus on providing support for small, low- in the past decades. Five years ago the majority of value or start-up businesses who would struggle under employees working in Bootstrap’s premises lived close normal conditions. These charities have been long- by, but recently, many of them have had to move away established and aim to improve conditions of life for because of increasing rents. Due to its location in a fast- the local community, not only by creating workspace changing area, Bootstrap tries to simultaneously cater but also through educational programmes or room to long-established residents, embrace newcomers and provision for other community organisations. The two act as voice for its tenants and the community when initiatives visited during the excursion were Bootstrap, being consulted on new local developments. Although where the CEO of Bootstrap company was kind Bootstrap has been on site since 1980, the future is enough to give students an exclusive tour around the uncertain due to the site’s complex ownership structure campus and an insight in their work, and Hackney Co- and an absence of long-term contracts (Patel 2018). operative Developments (HCD). Both organisations are HCD, Hackney Co-operative Developments provides located in Dalston in the London Borough of Hackney. workspace to different social and charitable Bootstrap is an “affordable workspace & cultural organisations as well as start-ups. Similar to hub that helps fund charitable education outreach in Bootstrap, HCD has strong local ties, with a particular Dalston” (GLA 2014, p.38), which was initially founded focus on ethnic minorities (Hackney Co-operative 40 years ago to improve employability of out-of-work Developments). The rent is also largely calculated to people in the community, to provide workspace and market rates, but since some of the stalls HCD provides

7 are only a few square feet big, they are affordable for should be advocated by planners on London-wide low-value businesses. Although the idea was that and local levels. However, being individual examples, such stalls would be a short-term stepping stone they rely on committed individuals. Such initiatives for start-ups, some tenants have stayed longer than are unable to tackle the problem of unavailable and originally intended (Ferm 2018). HCD also leads a unaffordable lower-value workspaces in general and partnership organising community activities on an can not protect existing businesses outside their adjacent public square, which acts as a meeting point premises threatened by displacement. Policies aiming and place for community outreach (Gillet Square). to deliver affordable workspaces have had limited success and although the new London Plan includes Both presented projects provide innovative approaches. some approaches to support lower-value businesses, The analysed charity organisations are dedicated it remains to be seen if the decline can be stopped. to support new and existing businesses as well as In the long-run, more rigorously protected business providing social and cultural benefits to the local areas as well as national policies that do not further community. They are clearly good-practice examples strengthen market forces will likely be required. of bottom-up approaches and more such initiatives

Special Thanks to:

Jessica Ferm, Bartlett School of Planning (UCL); Sufiya Patel, Bootstrap Company;

References Bootstrap Company Website [Online]. Available from: http://www.bootstrapcompany.co.uk/ [accessed 13 Feb 2018].

Ferm, J. (2014) Delivering affordable workspace: Perspectives of developers and workspace providers in London. Progress in Planning, 93, pp. 1-49.

Ferm, J. (2016) Preventing the displacement of small businesses through commercial gentrification: are affordable workspace policies the solution? Planning Practice & Research, 31(4), pp.402-419.

Ferm, J. (2018). Planning for industry and small businesses in London – challenges of workspace affordability and availability. Presentation held on 5 Feb 2018.

Ferm, J. and Jones, E. (2017) Beyond the post-industrial city: Valuing and planning for industry in London. Urban Studies, 54(14), pp. 3380-3398.

Gillet Square [Online]. Available from: http://http://www.gillettsquare.org.uk/ [accessed 14 Feb 2018].

GLA (2014) Supporting Places of Work: Incubators, Accelerators and Co-working Spaces. London: Greater London Authority.

GLA (2017) The London Plan: The Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London - Draft for public consultation. London: Greater London Authority.

Hackney Co-operative Developments [Online]. Available from: http://www.hced.co.uk/ [accessed 13 Feb 2018].

Patel, S (2018). Presentation and tour of the Bootstrap Company held on 5 Feb 2018.

8 Photo: Oleksandr Zelinskyi

Photo: Veera Jääskeläinen

Photo: Veera Jääskeläinen

Photo: Veera Jääskeläinen

Photo: Veera Jääskeläinen Photo: Oleksandr Zelinskyi 9 Contested Community Spaces Anasztazia Hujvan Natalia Matviishyn

The method of creating a public space has a significant natural magnet for creative people and artists with a effect on identity, social interaction and participation great number of studio spaces, it became even a more in the social life. Perhaps the most important idea of popular and expensive space for living and working. community spaces is to create something with others MAKING SPACE IN DALSTON and be involved in life of the society. Unfortunately, Altogether, the area features form a background for the certain places were created against a backdrop of project and Study of “The Making Space in Dalston”, austerity urbanism, as far as quick and rash urban developed and designed by muf architecture/art and planning decisions aimed at satisfying rapid need J&L Gibbons landscape architects with a small budget for housing or production facilities, but did not take (£1m) that was funded by the Mayor of London’s into consideration the matter of comfort or how new regeneration arm and the Hackney Council. With the buildings will work with existing ones. Thus, over this involvement of inhabitants, local businesses and kind of development we become random situations authorities, the project has succeeded after 2 years with unplanned “urban cracks”. Vacant and disused of mediating competing interests in 10 completed spaces create spontaneous opportunities for the city projects. The process did not end up with one happy development and influence the life of community in a family, but helped to create a big community and made very special way, providing everyone with a possibility of partners to get their hands dirty working with local being involved in decision-making and building process. people, spending a lot of time on a place and making a ABOUT DALSTON comprehensive pre-work analysis of what we actually Dalston is situated in London Borough of Hackney have, what is still needed and what shall be proud of. and is an area of a dramatic change within the last EASTERN COURVE GARDEN few years. In particular, it is one of the GLA’s priority Curved link between built-up areas of the environment sectors for development. Comparing Dalston with was decided to be redesigned into an EcoPark, which other boroughs, it has a very small amount of land shall provide an amenity for education and a chance to for green spaces (less than 12%, London – 38%) and escape from fast-moving city. In cooperation with the a disproportionate number of population on benefit Barbican Art Gallery team and the French group EXYZT, and in spite of that under half of social housing. there was set up a short-term project that tests longer- At the same time, Dalston is a rich area with a long term strategic ideas. Today the Dalston Eastern Curve history of social activism. Its space has been shaped Garden is one of the most sought-after public places, in collaboration with immigrant communities and located in one of the most cultivated areas in London. political commitment with numerous independent The garden operates seven days a week, twelve months businesses that established and, what is very important, a year, satisfying the local demands connected with the made the creative activity sustainable in this area. nature. It has attracted more than 12.000 visitors and showed the whole potential of green public spaces in Dalston is oriented around the ancient Kingsland the city. The discussions provoked different initiatives Road (A10), which leads to the city center, and is still of place usage and from that time variety of charity a bustling high street as well as an important arterial events, workshops for children, musical evening events, road in traffic connection. Upon construction of the and youth creative meetings have been taking place East London Line at Dalston Junction (2010), as a

10 there. Furthermore, it is a community-gathering place the garden. Accordingly, the cafe makes money in order for all inhabitants of such a dynamic part of Hackney, to keep the place going and to improve facilities. For which is the third most densely populated district in instance, they can build extra restrooms in a year’s London, and where the vast majority of people live in time; rented apartments with a limited access to gardens. The - Numerous formal and informal events take place is deeply embedded in community and provides place here; people are celebrating holidays, i.e. Easter, numerous social, economic, environmental and health Christmas, etc., arranging various concerts and benefits for all layers of local population. Widespread workshops for children. volunteer engagement and annual activities program “The best thing I like about the garden is the Halloween. help to overcome the barrier of participation in the In a week time, we bring here 600 or 700 pumpkins and community life, unite residents and neighbors and over two days the public usually comes to buy ready struggle against social exclusion. Dalston Eastern Curve decorations for their homes and enjoy the atmosphere. Garden was created in 2010 and was laid out on the old It is so beautiful! Emma, - our gardener, makes all the Eastern Curve railway line. While walking through the decisions. She keeps everything going; she has been garden you can even see the old parts of the railroad, here for about half of the week, making sure everything which perfectly fit into the atmosphere of the area. Eco is nice. She does volunteering on Saturday, when local Park was designed and created with minimum additions people can come, help us with a garden, and learn - the landscape was fleshed out with newly planted trees about the gardening. We have a big group of 20-30 and plantings; wooden roof facility with a kitchenette persons and it happens that some of them are doing was constructed, public restrooms and garden furniture it 4 or 5 years, so they are getting really close to us.” was provided, welcoming local initiatives to make their CONCLUSION own contribution. Now there are beautiful wooden Nowadays, frequently contested community spaces pavilions, where one can find a cafe, comfortable take a form of community gardens. We often get an seating places and a pizza-oven. Moreover, there is a empty unused or controversial place that could be greenhouse, which creates a cozy space during cold under development for a long period due to various winter times. Unfortunately, it should be emphasized political and financial reasons and differ in the possible that the land all over the garden is highly polluted, decision-making in favor of profit or contribution thus, no vegetables or fruits could be cultivated there. to the community needs. There are cases when For this reason, the place was equipped with six large important aspects like greenery percentage and social raised beds for growing food. Since then, they have also factors have been ignored and, thus, the process of started to cultivate some vegetables in the garden and enhancement takes too much time for individuals. As plant various flowers and other plantings everywhere Fior (2012) mentioned: “Three or five years is a short possible to feed bees, butterflies and attract wildlife. time in the life of a city, but quite a long time in the life The garden offers an inspirational space for children and of a child—or an asylum-seeker, for that matter. Better a local schools to learn about plants and the environment. cricket pitch, than an empty lot.” Eastern Curve Garden WORKING THERE and the whole “Making Space in Dalston” project, is a We had the opportunity to talk with one of the great example of how in difficult economic times and garden workers and get some interesting facts: rush urban development to create a beautiful place and - Regular visitors repeatedly come here every a Big Community, to build a kind of “durability through year and have already become friends with this unique the temporary” using design-led example of deliberative place; planning. How to create livable and sustainable design - It is not necessary to buy anything to spend for a public space, how to involve people and make time here; them little bit happier in their own city. And this is - They function as a social enterprise to maintain where we can learn from, be inspired and be proud of!

11 References Tonkiss, Fran. 2013. “Austerity Urbanism and the Makeshift City”.

Kieren Long. 2012. “Is this what you mean by localism?”

J&L Gibbons LLP. muf architecture/art. 2009. “Making Space in Dalston” http://dalstongarden.org/

Photo: Anasztazia Hujvan

Photo: Anasztazia Hujvan

Photo: Anasztazia Hujvan Photo: Anasztazia Hujvan 12 Design, community, participation Christina Birett Sandra Strasek

Sketch by Fabienne Mühlbacher

London is the capital and most populous city of the merger of the Metropolitan Borough of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the Hackney with the much smaller Metropolitan River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Boroughs of Stoke Newington and Shoreditch. Britain, London has been a major settlement for Hackney is bounded by Islington to the west, Haringey two millennia. It was founded by the Romans, who to the north, Waltham Forest to the northeast, named it Londinium. London’s ancient core, the City Newham to the east, Tower Hamlets to the south- of London, largely retains its 1.12-square-mile (2.9 east and the City of London to the south-west. km2) medieval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, “London” has also referred to the metropolis Hackney was one of the host boroughs of the London around this core, historically split between Middlesex, Olympics in 2012, with several of the Queen Elizabeth Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire, which today Olympic Park venues falling within its boundaries. largely make up Greater London, a region governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The Ridley Road Food Market (known locally as Ridley Road) London Borough of Hackney is a London Borough is a market situated in the London Borough of Hackney, in Inner London, United Kingdom. The historical northeast London. Opposite Dalston Kingsland railway and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street, station just off the Kingsland High Street section of which lies 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Charing Cross. the A10 about three miles north of the City of London.

Southern and eastern parts of the borough are This market is a retail food market. Fruit and vegetables popularly regarded as being part of east London, are sold from traditional barrows (trolleys) in the with the northwest belonging to north London. pedestrianized street from 8 am – 6 pm daily (not Sundays or Bank Holidays). There is a large range of traditional The London Plan issued by the Greater London and exotic produce from around the world. There are Authority assigns whole boroughs to sub-regions other stalls and many other shops lining the street for statutory monitoring, engagement and resource selling a wide variety of foods and household goods. allocation purposes. The most recent (2011) iteration of this plan assigns Hackney to the ‘East’ sub-region, Whilst the usual frameworks of architecture and while the 2008 and 2004 versions assigned the urbanism operate in ways in which local actors have borough to ‘North’ and ‘East’ sub-regions respectively. little influence on their outcome, self-organised practices provide an alternate framework for the The modern borough was formed 1965 by production of space. A lineage can be traced through

13 political activism, cultural production in the form of London and Europe. The most of their projects having music, art and literature, and other ways of dwelling a physical installation with the potential to longer such as squatting or autonomous communities. commissions like their latest one the Erith Lighthouse event (We have identities). Their first project were All demonstrate a desire to challenge the status quo by different to the project what they are doing now. developing fiercely independent approaches. A number of spatial practices, such as the Centri Sociali or the The project Ridley’s was located in in the Ridley Freetown of Christiania, extend this narrative into the Road Market in Dalston in September 2011. realm of architecture and urbanism . Self-organisation Ridley Road Market is located in Dalston since the in architectural terms radically challenges many of end of 1880s, it having started with 20 stalls now over the tenets of the regulated and controlled profession. 150 stalls offering diverse range of quality goods. The It does not simply suggest participation in something market is an important part in Hackney’s history and that is controlled elsewhere, but actively establishes heritage with the fusion of Afro-Caribbean, Asian and the desire and need for a transformation in the first European goods. It is very international and offering instance, before acting on it. This action involves the different goods from around the world (Hackney). design of processes that can enable people to transform their own environments meaning that the mechanisms The project Ridley was led by the collective together with involved are embedded within their own locality and are Atelier ChanChan. They transformed an exposed derelict not external to it. Since self-organised projects emerge void in Ridley Road Market into a podium for outdoor eating. from the negotiations of many different actors, they are inherently relational practices, and point towards the Ridley’s got sponsoring in kind of stuff and things donated collective production of space(Nishat et al. 2011 p.197). by local people and 5000 pounds and scaffolding from the developer, who is going to make some kind of use out „The Decorators“ was founded as a multidisciplinary of the little piece of land the project used during Ridley’s. design collective by Suzanne O’Connell, Xavi Llarch Font, Carolina Caicedo and Mariana Pestana. The For this temporary project the collective used a space of collective unite different backgrounds in landscape 5 metres * 5 metres in the heart of Ridley Road Market. architecture, interior architecture and psychology. It was planned as a temporary summer project during All four of them were doing their master together three weeks in September 2011, 24 local chefs were and started their first project there. They started volunteering in cooking meals for lunch and dinner, all first as informal collective and then transformed into ingredients for the dishes were bought from the market. a studio with all equal partners, they work in their The market traders played a crucial part in the project own structure very horizontal. The name decorators as they were providing all needed goods for this project, comes from about idea decorators were not seen as food, equipment and also electricity and gas supply. topical designers more like a second class designers, Very important for this project, as for all projects by so they playing with this name, that the decorators in the decorators, is an early starting communication the UK. are more down to earth then architect in that process with all stakeholders and a never stopping way, The Decorator doing temporary project which are flow of information for locals and passers-by to keep seen as a second class architecture form architecture them updated about the progress of the project. For with a classic view of this field. The collective works Ridley’s they produced leaflets with information about as placemakers, designing public interventions with the project that were made available for people to take the motivation to regeneration, where the dialogue is away as soon as they started building the restaurant. needed. It is very much collaborations having people From the moment the restaurant opened, they always from different disciplines coming together to design had someone at the counter working front-of-house spaces they have a story to tell. It is content at space. to give information to passers-by, encouraging them The projects are located in lot of different places around to come back for lunch or dinner. In addition to this, 14 they sent a press release to many food and design location with celebration and fusion of London’s blogs and information to online restaurant listings. exciting food culture and this area’s agricultural All the dinners were sold out before they opened. heritage. It was devised by DK_CM together with (Ridley’s Recipes for Food and Architecture, p.89). the Decorators and commissioned by the London Borough of Bexley and funded by the Mayor’s London The Decorators were sure they needed a publication after Regeneration Fund as part of Bexley’s Greater Erith ridleys so they made one with helpful hints for future Programme. The Erith Lighthouse is a part of aims projects and they are making podcasts in a podcast for reactivating the town centre.(erith-lighthouse). channel for every project, these include conversations on site, series of podcasts and conversations. Usually the Decorators are doing one long, big project like Ridleys and some smaller, short projects at a time to Their latest project was the Erith Lighthouse keep their studio going. Sometimes their projects have event. The communication was a central no object or work methodology that can be applied to, aspect of their work in Erith. This project was concepts of companies. Their work focus of areas, which successful for local council and the inhabitants. are changing, between developments, local authorities Erith Lighthouse was a pop-up event, which took and the GLA, now the collective is planning on working place last summer September 2017 at the Erith’s together with a developer and they are more active on riverside Garden. The garden party hosted art, music, the consultation level, very important for them is to design and regional food from local businesses. be on a local scale and working in direct contact with The project was realised for six weeks in Erith, every locals. Some problems would arise when the contacts week had a specific topic. The preparation for this to authorities and other stakeholders would change and temporary project and feasibility started in May 2016. new people need to be convinced about the project.

During the summer time they entertained the

References Harriss, P., 2006, “Ridley Road”. London Markets. New Holland Publishers. p. 114. Hackney. Available from: https://hackney.gov.uk/ridley-road-market.[12. February 2018].

Nishat, A. Schneider, T. Till, T. 2011, Spatial agency other ways of doing architecture erith-lighthouse. Available from: https://www.bexley.gov.uk/news/erith-lighthouse-open-business.[accessed 23. February 2018].

O’Connell, S., LIarch Font, X., Caicedo, C., Pestana, M., 2015, Ridley’s Recipes for Food and Architecture. Freddy Dewe Mathews. p. 7

Erithtown - An introduction and guide to Erith, with comprehensive directory. Available from: erithtown.net.[12. February 2018].

Erith Lighthouse picture Available from: http://the-decorators.net/Erith-Lighthouse.[accessed 23. February 2018].

Greater London Authority (2015). Available from: (PDF). Greater London Authority. Greater London Authority.[accessed 12. February 2018].

Ridley Available from: http://the-decorators.net/Ridley-s-Temporary-Restaurant[accessed 23. February 2018].

We have identities. Available from: http://www.local-legends.org/people/2017/5/18/we-have-identities-as-individuals-but- identity-is-also-related-to-place-how-do-you-start-to-uncover-that.[accessed 12 February 2018]. 15 Photo: Erith Lighthouse

Photo: Sandra Strasek

Photo: Erith Lighthouse 2

Photo: Sandra Strasek

Photo: Ridley Photo: Ridley 2 16 Housing activism

Fabienne Mühlbacher Maowen Luo Manzhu Li

Elephant and Castle junction, shopping mall

PREFACE sustainability and is taking another approach which Elephant and Castle is an area of transportation is more caring and equal to its inferior members. importance in southern London. Consisting of major Visiting the Boroughs of South-East-London, we traffic junctions connected by a short road called witnessed the heavy handed and also widely spread Elephant and Castle and five major road connecting regeneration programmes being implemented from to every adjacent bridge on the Thames, the area was the local authorities. While causing gentrification, not once the center of traffic south of the river. Along only negative results arise from investing in high-rise time, the buildings around was regenerated and buildings: Many small, well organised communities several high-rise buildings take over the skyline, but evolve and reclaim urban space for themselves. the regeneration plan for the area in whole never went Detailed and lovingly planned spaces in between come well, especially the one concerning the old shopping into existence, out of necessity for free, public space. center. As the plot offers great opportunities both for the developers who wish to maximize their profit and HOUSING CRISIS IN LONDON the council who needs the problem of infrastructure Social housing is a significant issue of civil society and and social housing be solved on this crucial plot. social policy in the UK over the last two decades due to fundamental changes in housing policy, widening Housing becomes the center of battle fire. The council inequality and demographic change. London has long fights for its promise of providing 30% socially been at the epicenter of the UK’s housing crisis. After rented housing on each new project; the local Latin years of rhetoric about “the housing crisis”, as house small business community fights for its survival in prices and rents have soared beyond the means of the same area. As the developer is not likely to give most normal people, words are turning into direct in their profit easily, the battle becomes protracted, action by radical protest groups and residents of the proposals were made and denied again and again. capital have been taking to the streets in protest. Due to its previous failure on the Heygate estate, the Council stands in the midst of capitalism and social In 1980s, “black housing movement” emerged,

17 in response to housing discrimination and urban controlled alternative to conventional council housing disturbances in the UK. The movement also hoped to stock Social Housing 28 transfer (CCH, 2001, 2003b). formulate challenges to prevailing housing institutions In 2010, George Osborne stops funding the building of through creation of more appropriate housing designs, social rented housing for the first time in the history culturally sensitive services, training and employment of the welfare state. Instead, he introduces a new in housing construction and management and tenure called ‘affordable rent’ which can be charged at support for anti-racist organising (Symes and Karn, up to 80% of the market rate. Funding for this tenure 1988, pp. 17-21; Harrison and Reeve, 2002, pp. 759). is slashed by 60%. The chancellor announces benefit The “black housing movement” helped to reveal the cuts worth £11bn. He proposes the introduction of a inadequate housing responses to minority needs benefit cap of £26,000 a year, cuts to the payment of by local councils and mainstream predominantly Local Housing Allowance, and the ‘social housing size white housing associations, contributing to the criteria’ – more commonly referred to as the bedroom emergence of housing organizations run by minority tax – to reduce housing benefit payments to housing ethic people themselves. In 1986, a “Strategy for tenants who have spare rooms. The government later Black and Ethnic Minority Housing Associations” was renames the cut ‘the under-occupation penalty’, and introduced by the Housing Corporation. BME housing then the ‘spare room subsidy’. London mayor Boris associations gradually played an important role in Johnson pledges that he will not allow benefit cuts to social housing issues in the UK, collaborating with cause ‘Kosovo-style social cleansing’ in the capital. the Federation to influence national housing policy, as well as providing a consultative and promotional In 2011, the protest movement “Occupy London” kicked platform for BME housing issues. After the election off in solidarity with global anti-capitalist movement of the Blair government in 1997, new rent policies Occupy, and around 3,000 people gathered around St have forced down rents in poorer areas, especially Paul’s Cathedral. Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, in the midlands and north of England. However, BME a charity for homeless people, said the housing crisis housing associations are confronting challenges to “underlies the scandal of 21st century homelessness”. their survival due to difficulty in recruiting staff and The national event follows a series of local protests high turnover of staff, and they have to compromise against alleged “social cleansing” by landlords replacing their mission partnering with large associations. affordable housing with more expensive units for sale.

There have been a number of social housing In 2013, UK government introduced the bedroom tax and associations in the UK. Defend Council Housing is a the benefit cap. Also known as under occupancy charge tenant led campaign supported by MPs, councilors, or the Spare Room Subsidy, Bedroom Tax is a change to trade unions, community organizations and local Housing Benefit Entitlement that means residents will campaign groups. DCH opposes privatization of receive less in housing benefit if they live in a housing council housing and is campaigning for the fourth association or council property that is deemed to have option - direct investment. Defend Council Housing one or more spare bedrooms. This new tax started emerged as a national organization in 1998, which affecting properties with spare bedrooms in April 2013, has sought to bring together tenants, trade unionists and widespread protests against the introduction of the and progressive activists to oppose privatization of bedroom tax sprang up across England and Scotland. council housing. The UK Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) is a membership policy advocacy Inside Housing revealed that councils had more organization of housing coops and other tenant- than doubled the number of families being housed controlled housing organizations. It was formed in outside of London since 2013. Families have been 1993, and has become a player in the national policy being moved as far afield as Manchester, Birmingham, arena, especially by offering a participatory, resident- Swansea and Accrington as a result of soaring private

18 rents in the capital. In 2015, thousands of Londoners without any consistency. That is why, compared to attended the March for Homes, converging on City Barcelona, New York or even old Roman cities, London Hall from two separate marches originating in south has little structure in the composition of urbanity. and east London. After the march was over, some The two core buildings in the elephant & castle area are protesters attempted to occupy One Tower Bridge, the Heygate Estate and the Elephant & Castle Shopping a luxury development on the banks of the Thames. Centre. Situated adjacent to Walworth Road and New Another group of protesters went south to open up Kent Road, the Heygate Estate was a large social some of the shuttered flats on the Aylesbury Estate housing building comprising 1214 homes. Known and began a two-month long “political occupation”. as ‘muggers’ paradise’, the estate was demolished In London, a rash of occupations, protests and marches between 2011 and 2014 as a part of the Elephant & have emerged since the past several years –many of Castle area’s urban regeneration. The regeneration which have won unlikely victories and in turn have and redevelopment of this area is highly controversial inspired new recruits struggling to pay soaring rents. The and has been criticised as ‘broken promises of inexorable rise of housing activism in London has seen replacement affordable housing on the new Heygate’. previously disparate interest groups coordinate and (http://35percent.org/heygate-regeneration-faq/) share resources. Social housing tenants facing the loss Despite a policy requirement of 35%, the Regeneration of their homes through regeneration projects have come Agreement signed by the council leader in 2010 together with private renters protesting sky-high rents; stipulated that Lendlease was to provide “A minimum revolutionary communists joined forces with architects of 25 per cent Affordable Housing”(pg 95). However, and planners; celebrities have joined with unions; and when the planning application was submitted in Jan ordinary commuters without political allegiance have 2013, the developer substituted most of the social picked up banners to march alongside anarchists. Their rent component for affordable rent of up to 80% common cause is the fight against the commodification market on the grounds of financial viability. In 2015, of housing and the break-up of communities in London. the 35% campaign succeeded in obtaining a copy of THE CASE OF ELEPHANT AND CASTLE the viability assessment submitted by the developer In our excursion, the Elephant & Castle area offers an to justify the reductions in its affordable housing offer. example of typical urban regeneration in London, in The figures showed how developers negotiate down which it is difficult for developers to negotiate with the affordable housing obligations. Of the 2,704 local traders and residents on social housing issues. new homes on the Heygate, 198 will be intermediate The Elephant and Castle is an area around a major ‘affordable rent’, 316 shared ownership and just 82 road junction in South London, England, in the London will be social rented. The 82 social rented homes Borough of Southwark. Traffic runs to and from the provided, fall well short of the 500 new homes south-east of England along the A2 (New Kent Road promised to Heygate residents who had been offered and Old Kent Road), the south of England on the A3, to the ‘right to return’ to the estate. In fact, most the West End via St George’s Road, and to the City of residents don’t plan to return to the estate and mostly London via London Road and Newington Causeway at already have started their new life somewhere else. the northern junction. Newington Butts and Walworth The other important building in this area is the Elephant & Road adjoin the southern junction. The whole junction Castle Shopping Centre. The Elephant & Castle Shopping forms part of the London Inner Ring Road and part Centre has a blue part as shopping centre and the upper of the boundary of the London congestion charge part as offices. In an earlier proposal, the shopping zone. In the Great Fire of London in 1966, four fifth of centre is going to be knocked down and rebuilt to be a London are destroyed. After that, every private owner new elevated commercial centre with more recognized rebuilt his own land separately from all others and

19 brands and open streets. One of the largest bingo halls in the regeneration—the developer Delancey and the in UK is now inside the shopping centre. In the middle of Southwark council, are what these campaigns target at. January when the planning application to knock down Delancey claims that its offer for only 3% social rented the shopping centre was refused, there was a meeting, housing is already at the margin of financial viability, and before the meeting, the developers announced that whereas the council is counting on private developers to they were willing to rebuild another bingo hall. This is a provide vital transportation infrastructure and housing case where local community negotiate with developers due to a cut on government funding for housing. as bingo is a historical part of working class social life. This regeneration dilemma is not specific to Despite broad consensus that the building is no longer Elephant and Castle. In other areas of London, from fit for purpose, however, its re-development has been Cressingham Gardens in Lambeth to South Grove in fiercely opposed by tenants, local campaign groups and Waltham Forest, regeneration plans face the similar a growing list of councillors. As a result, the regeneration problems of social justice against capitalism. But plans have gone through years of complication, back and the campaigns at Elephant and castle are seeing forth. As the shopping centre area houses over 100 Latin success, and the decision is recently about to made American businesses, it forms Britain’s largest Latin (Feb. 2018), which indicates a promising future American community. The campaign Latin Elephant are of this battle of the little against the big ones. working hard to keep the community consistent in the process of re-development. The crucial decision makers

References García-Lamarca, Melissa (2017) Reconfiguring the Public Through Housing Rights Struggles in Spain Bockmeyer J L. Devolution and the transformation of community housing activism[J]. The Social Science Journal, 2003, 40(2): 175-188. Juliet Patricia Davis, 2017, The resilience of a London Great Estate: urban development, adaptive capacity and the politics of stewardship http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk http://housingactivists.co.uk/ https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/ Kate Hardy and Tom Gillespie, Homelessness, health and housing in East London, 2016

20 Deconstruction site slogan by Maowen Luo

Elephant and Castle junction by Maowen Luo

Construction in E&C area by Maowen Luo

Shopping mall interior by Maowen Luo

Back of shopping mall by Maowen Luo Small stalls outside shopping mall by Clemens Neuber 21 Corporate Placemaking in London Michael Kerschbaumer Clemens Lippl Tinghan Zhou

The Thames Photo: Clemens Lippl

The city of London provides an interesting ground to EVANS 2008 in RACO & HENDERSON 2009, 303). research topics such as placemaking, regeneration and The arena where that phenomenon is the most visible gentrification. During the last few decades London’s is the public space. Through less public-sector funding demography experienced an enormous growth and local governments having the responsibility that, combined with rather soft structural planning for governance and regulations, the developers of regulations, sets an attractive playground for private residential housing get more power in designing and developers (RACO M. & HENDERSON S. 2009, 303). planning the public space. This leads to the fact that Through “The London Plan” of 2004 the city defined they tend to have more power in coordinating and even opportunity areas, which were made accessible to owing public realm (NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE developers over the following years. It was argued that 2015). Through minimizing the influence of the Great flagship regeneration projects in those areas, such London Council, different boroughs became somehow as Elephant and Castle, the Isle of Dogs, King’s Cross, competitors to each other. They need to attract new Paddington, Shoreditch and Wembley would lead to an developers to keep up with the constant growth and economically, environmentally and socially sustainable competition within the city itself which leads to the growth throughout the city. One decade later those fact that they can negotiate the so called Section106 areas have undergone a rigorous change and those payments, affecting investment in public space and regeneration programs rather divided the people living social housing. Boroughs with less public funding can’t there. The actual aim was to reduce inequalities but afford to do keep a hard stance so they allow investors in the end this kind of projects rather promoted them. to lower their compensations like affordable housing “Flagship-oriented regeneration tends to be units. This is documented and criticized by various local exclusive, rather than inclusive, and creates new organisations like the 35% campaign (35% Campaign). forms of division, rather than encouraging a greater During the excursion we visited the head of the sense of cohesion” (see HARVEY 2000; JONES & 22 placemaking division of a big real estate company, then those generating additional income. These people who gave us some insight into nowadays placemaking. often demand nice and clean public spaces, shiny up to He described his ideas of people-based development date environments and trendy shops and gastronomy focusing on the public space and the “gel” that glues and they are willing to pay for that. This means higher buildings, places and people together. He also gave selling prices for developers, higher rent income some case studies like art interventions “before I for landlords, higher profit for the appropriate retail die” and “I wish the store was” of Candy Chang, and and higher tax revenue for the local administration. Boxpark Croydon to support the idea, that people Places like “Boxpark” are highly popular and projects should be the core of placemaking, including their like “The Artworks” in Elephant & Castle and two experiences, rhythms and behaviours. In his opinion other locations successfully add Co Working Spaces future landlords should view themselves like the and Pop Up Studios. Co Working spaces like “Labs”, editors of magazines and cities will go into brand Hotels like ACE Hotels or Office Developments like the partnerships with big companies. He gave us a good Whitechapel building are opening their ground floor summary of what he thinks will be the future of retail lobbies to the public, integrating tables for working, focused public spaces like squares, high streets or areas for meeting and relaxing, hip coffee bars, pop town centres and we were also able to visit the Boxpark up retail and art exhibitions into their mix, benefitting Shoreditch and Redchurch Street before seeing him. from having their representational spaces crowded with young, trendy people. Whilst their spaces are He agrees with the New London Architecture Think Tank generally freely accessible to all, their elegant design, stating that in times of austerity and deregulation not and the people populating it, serve as a socio-cultural only the money, necessary to invest in public spaces, barrier: “The hotel had the right low-lit, casually arty but also the knowledge of how to do so properly, is look; the right vibe of easy exclusivity (no velvet rope shifting from the public into the private sector (NLA required because no one unworthy would dare to 2015). As those stakeholders are currently missing enter)” (GOODMAN 2011). The same could be said public space expertise this is where he comes in. His for many of the new public spaces or designed high prediction of more and more branded public amenities streets, keeping less affluent people away through fits into the post-fordist accumulation strategies sophisticated design choices aimed at other groups, of attention-based economics described by Sabine the presence of security cameras and guards and the Knierbein with the example of branded street furniture absence of retail at the lower end of the price sector. in Berlin (KNIERBEIN 2010). In the UK the branding of football stadiums is nothing special anymore and An important question is what was there before. this will soon extend to train stations or whole areas. Successful corporate developments are often Powerful brands might be the next big stakeholders, transforming areas under crisis. High streets with a regenerating town centres and districts to go along with lot of vacancies, missing important key shops and their brand message, attracting the fitting people to badly designed environments need change to compete their brand lifestyle as tenants, customers or tourists. with shopping centres and online shopping. Poor areas with low tax income for the public sector, bad Whilst our contact person certainly tries to transport education facilities and badly maintained public spaces the idea to developers and landowners that when doing could profit from more affluent people moving into regeneration schemes, as well as new developments, the neighbourhood. Young retail entrepreneurs need they need to part with their fixation on square meters, shops with enough footfall to generate new customers, revenue and imposing architecture and focus on people Start Up Companies need affordable workspaces in if they want to produce the working public spaces environments they want to spend their time in, young needed to support areas in the long term, clearly their students and families would be happy about other main motivation remains money. It would be naive dining options than a greasy spoon or shady take out. to expect them to cater for the needs of anyone else 23 The problem is that this regeneration process Les Trois Garcons owner Hassan Abdullah in 2012. doesn’t stop when the negative aspects of an area As Redchurch Street is now seeing the openings of are diminishing. Further investments are activated, luxury brands like Versace he has already moved on. leading to prices for homes and shops that make them These problems are hard to be solved if the field impossible to stay in for the original residents as well is left to private interests. Solutions would need a as the middle class people who moved in more recently. clear change in policy with concise definitions of As argued by Sharon Zukin the authentic atmosphere of public spaces, stricter rent controls, enforcement an area has become a product, an experience that can of Section106 compensations, and regulations be attached to places and goods, and therefore sold. minimising the competition amongst local entities. As Researching New York, she states that the constant this change might not be coming, charismatic people regeneration of what “authenticity” means and having like our contact person, who is seeing the problems a balance between the “origins” of a place and the in exaggerated prices, affordable flats with separate inspiring “new beginnings” is a key aspect of how the entrances, no places for young people to live or work city works. In shifting too much power to private, profit in and ubiquitous chain stores, and who is already interested developers this balance and “authenticity” hosting dinners bringing together the corporate side might get lost. Increasing housing costs and the with critical academics like Ed Wall might play an displacement of poorer people is the most problematic important role. “Planning for people” the popular slogan outcome of gentrification but it also affects places the of Jan Gehl he used, might be a first step but keeping affluent customers enjoy like markets, art galleries the authentic balance of “origins” and “new beginnings” or hip retail stores. The owners of very posh stores might also benefit developers looking beyond the 15 or on Redchurch street are amongst those warning. something year cycles of deterioration, gentrification, “My worry is that it will become another high street. I and total commodification if they really want to would prefer something more organic: to maintain the produce places that keep being fascinating, interesting momentum but stop things like Pret coming in. That’s and affordable for as many diverse groups as possible. not what this street is about.“ (COULSON 2012), said

References 35% CAMPAIGN: 35percent.org

ACE HOTEL LONDON: www.acehotel.com/london

BOXPARK: https://www.boxpark.co.uk/

BRITISH BIDS: http://britishbids.info

BROOKER, N. 2017. London Hotspot: www.ft.com/content/e2961b6c-ee19-11e6-ba01-119a44939bb6

CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTER. A Placemaking Approach to Design: https://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/ courses/vectorworks-inc/a-placemaking-approach-to-design/1/

COULSON, C. 2012. The rise of Redchurch Street: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/the-rise-of- redchurch-street-7498874.html

DUSP MIT. 2013. Places in the Making: How placemaking builds places and communities: https://dusp.mit.edu/sites/ dusp.mit.edu/files/attachments/project/mit-dusp-places-in-the-making.pdf

FELSTED, A. 2015. Brands cluster at London East End’S “Bond Street”: www.ft.com/content/0e782f9e-682f-11e5-a57f- 21b88f7d973f

24 FUTURE OF LONDON & ROCKET SCIENCE UK LTD. 2016. The evolution of London’s Business Improvement Districts: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/evolution_of_londons_bids_march2016_web_020316.pdf

GOODMAN, L. 2011. Ace Hotel’s Communal Workspace Shows A Winning Hand: www.fastcompany.com/1768472/ace- hotels-communal-workspace-shows-winning-hand

HARVEY, D. 2000. Spaces of Hope.

HUGHES, N. The Gentrification of Placemaking. http://info.activeprofile.co.uk/blog/how-gentrification-informs- placemaking

JONES, P. & EVANS, J. 2008. Urban Regeneration in the UK.

KNIERBEIN, S. 2010. Die Produktion zentraler öffentlicher Räume in der Aufmerksamkeitsökonomie.

LABS: labs.com

NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE. 2015. Public London NLA Insight Study.

NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE: http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES. 2015. Equitable Placemaking. Not the end, but the means. https://www.pps.org/article/ equity-placemaking-gentrification

RACO M. & HENDERSON S. 2009. Flagship Regeneration in a Global City: The Re-making of Paddington. In: Urban Policy and Research 2009

SMART CITIES DIVE. Is “Sustainable” Urban Placemaking Elitist?. https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/ sustainablecitiescollective/sustainable-urban-placemaking-elitist/197551/

THE ARTWORKS LONDON: www.theartworks.london/

ULI. 2014. King’s Cross. https://casestudies.uli.org/kings-cross/

ZUKIN, S. 2010. Naked City.

25 Boxpark Shoreditch. Photo: Clemens Lippl

Apartment tower under construction. Photo: Clemens Lippl

Redchurch Street. Photo: Clemens Lippl

Labs: Co-Working with retail and coffee. Photo: Clemens Lippl

Redchurch Street. Photo: Clemens Lippl Luxurious apartment tower in Shoreditch. Photo: Clemens Lippl 26 Socio-spatial impacts of Olympic Games Tatsuki Nishida Tomoko Okada Olivia Tomasi

Olympic Games can influence a city in all different When arriving today at Stratford/Stratford International kinds of ways long after the events are already over. Station (Fig. 1) which is the nearest station, after This is also the case in London where the positive passing through the Westfield shopping center, the influence continues to live even after the London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is right there. An elegant Olympic Games’ success in 2012. One of the major building with a streamlined roof jumps into one’s eyes – reasons for that are master plans emphasizing “legacy” it is the “Aquatics Center” (Fig. 2). The swimming pool in and “sustainability” that were already devised before which the medalists and others swam is the easiest to the actual event. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean use among the former Olympic facilities currently open. success only because a big plan is implemented. Beyond the bridge is the fountain square being Instead, a concrete vision for after the event is needed. towered by the “Arcelor Mittal Orbit” – the highest art Aoyama (2014) classified the impact of Olympic Games sculpture in the UK (Fig 3). There is a children’s play into three categories: “impact on the city”, “impact on fountain where in summer kids can enjoy the water. traffic” and “impact on citizens”. For each category, The peaceful picture is only diminished by the fact there are the following examples for the City of London: that the former “Olympic Stadium” is right next to it. impact on the city can be seen in Westfield Stratford The idyllic riverside around the stadium is perfect for City. It became a place of employment and relaxation a relaxing walk, meanwhile families with children have and influenced the reproduction of Eastern London. a “pleasure garden” with a playground (Fig. 4 & 7). Concerning the impact on traffic, opening up cross rails and cable cars can be mentioned. And impact After seeing the stadium as it was at the time on the citizens has had the opening of the Aquatics of the Olympics and a new area, there is “East Center and the reuse as residence area of the athlete Village” which was a player village on the way to village. According to these examples, many facilities Stratford Station. The apartments that the Olympic like these continue to be used up to the present day. athletes had stayed in were renovated into a condominium for rental and rent today (Fig. 5 & 6). Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London The Olympic Park where the Games were hosted Evaluation of current use for London’s citizens in 2012 is situated in Stratford – an area that has During the planning and development stage of the experienced a rise and fall as an industrial area for Olympic park area the image of green and sustainable centuries. Not only was the operated plant producing values was very important. The project was portrayed chemicals, gas, tobacco, paint etc., it was also the as a futuristic development program that worked hard site of the largest industrial wastewater treatment to meet standards of sustainability but at the same time plant in Europe. During the redevelopment, 2,000,000 also was a community project. It should serve those cubic meters (40 meters underground) of soil were most affected – meaning mainly the people living and excavated, five soil washing facilities called “soil working in the neighboring areas. The Queen Elizabeth hospitals” were set up in the site, about 700,000 Olympic Park should become an integrated part of the drilled soil cubic meters of washing treatment were city of London functioning as a recreation space for its performed and 90% was purified (The Economist 2015). 27 citizens. That image was highlighted often throughout instead it functions more as a place to escape. all stages of the development process. However, in The landscape architect and urban designer Bridget reality the commercial uses and values were playing Snaith focused her research on the visitors of parks like a far more important role in the actual involvement. the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. In her PhD The critique of the realization of the park can be started thesis, she conducted a quantitative study evaluating at that main goal of the space trying to be an integrated which park different social groups go to in their free part of the city. In reality, the green space is mainly time. Her work showed that the places a person goes disconnected from the neighboring areas as one has to to are strongly defined by the ethnic class they are go through a shopping mall to actually reach the park. coming from. Factors like sex, age, education, income, This prevents the park from being an everyday location etc. are far less important. Instead it seems that people for people to relax in etc. because people have to “learn space” concerning to their ethnical background. purposely plan on going there, then cross the shopping A single person’s interests are not as decisive as the mall and after that finally reaching their destination. upbringing. For example, Bridget categorized into the The chances of “just walking by” are fairly small. focus group of colored people who are much more likely to use a park as a location for recreation if there are Furthermore, the arrangement of the river Lee, its open spaces, possible spots for social interaction and side streams and the railways and streets crossing different offers of activities. Therefore, the southern through the space make a compact composition of part of the Olympic Park is gladly used – while the the area a challenge. Instead the various crossing kids are playing, parents sit down and chat. This part sections divide the park and obstruct the feeling quickly turned into the busy part of the site where of connection. When walking through, a visitor the “community” is happening as different social can easily get confused by the composition and groups are meeting and spending their free time. will need to carefully read signs and walk around. Another focus group are white academics. Especially The Queen Elizabeth Olympic park is divided in the British white people seem to have the romantic image previously described main sections. The southern part of a green space ingrained in their brains. When talking of the park is mainly constructed by an open space about parks, nature spaces are mentioned where leisure with different play elements for kids (fountains, little is defined by relaxation and not necessarily (social hills, a boulder wall, …) (Fig. 4). In between those, inter-)action. Therefore, the Lee valley area is place to there are little green spots complemented with various go to as it is most appealing to the British white group seating possibilities. Key factor of this area is the of visitors with its picturesque/romantic image of visibility throughout – parents can sit down while still landscape. Here, the park visitors can put themselves having an eye on their children the whole time. This in front and it’s more about isolation than inclusion. can be considered as clever space planning how it is also by Bridget Snaith (walking tour on Feb 8, 2018). This categorization into different focus groups by their ethnic background and in consequence different When walking further soon visitors reach the “valley” demands in the features of the park is not only a – the area around the Lee river bed where not much theoretical concept. When analyzing her findings, redevelopment was implemented. During the planning, Bridget Snaith could confirm her hypothesis with the it was tried to improve the area however, that turned actual visitors of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic park. out to be more complicated than anticipated. The This also is one of the positive aspects of the Olympic site is still today more or less a wasteland while the Park – the different sites/areas enable different social investment was instead focused on a more sustainable groups to spend their time the way they want to. land bridge. The valley itself seems on normal days Meaning that regardless of their preferences a visitor “empty” – there is no social interaction possible will find what they are looking for. When analyzed, the

28 actual visitors of the park also represent the surrounding and the player village is put on the center of that. living and working spaces relatively well (Issuu 2016; In addition to rebuilding the National Stadium which Lanscape Institute 2014; Landscape Institute 2016). was the main stadium of the Olympic Games held Key point for criticism remains the lack of connectivity in 1964, many new facilities including the village of the park to the surrounding areas as well as the are constructed in the Bay Area. At the same time complex journey there. The distribution of paths, existing buildings such as the Yoyogi gymnasium by rivers and railways throughout the park remains Kenzo Tange and famous Budokan concert venue confusing to its visitors. The spatial planning is rather are partially refurbished and used. These points are complicated; reasons for that can be found in the also based on the convention concept. In terms of fact that most involved parties actually didn’t believe transportation, rebuilding has been undertaken with in the nomination of London as the city to host the the aim of completing the construction in 2020, such Olympic Games. Therefore, people did not care about as the establishment of a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) the different planning proposals and controversial connecting the venues and the construction of a new options had a good chance in the contest. When the subway line. About the station in the city center such as decision was finally made, the planning was already the redevelopment of the Shibuya station, construction too far ahead and the time span too short to change rush is continuing. When proceeding these projects, major aspects. This is the reason why parts of the one of the most important emphasis is the change of park feel fragmented and are not well put together. uses after the Olympics and the cost for it. Although When visiting the area for the first time, visitors are the design of the new National Stadium by Zaha Hadid often surprised how the actual site is constructed. was initially adopted, the plan has been dismissed The communicated pictures by the development due to too much cost and now it has been changed to coordinators portray a much more conceptualized be designed by Kengo Kuma (The Tokyo Organising part of the city and less a site defined by patch work. Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2017).

Lessons learned from London Olympics 2012 – Thorough cost cutting, environmental consideration Towards Tokyo Olympics 2020 and how to use that legacy after closing – these are the It can be said that the London Olympic Games 2012 is tasks that the Olympic Committee preferentially tackles. one of the few successful examples in the point of that Various challenging experiments are conducted it is used well even after closing. The Athens Olympic as a place to experiment with new lifestyles and Games in 2004 and the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 are technologies in Tokyo, including the newly established currently ruined especially around the main stadium BRT. However, it should be considered with priority but the success of the London Olympic Games is a for those who live or will live there in the future. The precedent that future host countries should refer to. social impact that Olympic Games have on a venue is At this moment, the Winter Olympic Games are held in immeasurable. In London, it is considered for improving Pyeongchang, Korea, and the ticket sales seem not to the region due to redevelopment from early stage on be good. At the next Olympic venue, Tokyo, this should especially regarding social housing, playgrounds be also considered. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 have a for children and the mutability. That is the reason concept which is “a compact hosting in a big city”. It for the success of the redevelopment after closing. means “the short distance trips between the venues” It is obvious that the development associated with and “consideration for the environment”. In Ariake, for the Olympic Games, which will do better or worse for example, there are almost all facilities within the eight- an area according to the plan, must be considered kilometer range, centering on the player village currently for the future of a region. The tournament itself is under construction. The venue in Tokyo is divided into temporary however, the life in that area will continue. a heritage area (main stadium area) and a bay area

29 Special Thanks to: Bridget Snaith

References

Aoyama, Y. (2014) Olympic Cities Spatial Planning Challenges for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Graduate school of Gover- nance Studies, Meiji University.

Issuu (2016) The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Whose Values, Whose Benefits?. Available from: https://issuu.com/ shapelandscapearchitects/docs/the_queen_elizabeth_park__whose_val [accessed 17.12.2017].

Landscape Institute (2014) Olympic Park demonstrates ethnic preferences for landscape. Available from: https://www. landscapeinstitute.org/news/olympic-park-demonstrates-ethnic-preferences-for-landscape/ [accessed: 14.01.2018].

Landscape Institute (2016) PhD Thesis: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: Whose Values, Whose Benefits?. Available from: https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/case-studies/phd_thesis_the_queen_elizabeth_olympic_park_whose_values_ whose_benefits/ [accessed: 14.01.2018].

The Economist (2015) Going for Bronze. What have the Olympics done for east London? Available from: https://www. economist.com/news/britain/21659766-what-have-olympics-done-east-london-going-bronze [accessed 10.02.2018].

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (2017) Tokyo 2020. Guidebook. Available from: https://www.2020games.metro.tokyo.jp/TOKYO2020_guidebook-E-2-Augupdate-2.pdf [accessed 15.02.2018].

All additional information was gained during a walking tour in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Feb. 8, 2018 with Bridget Snaith.

30 Photo: Tomoko Okada

Photo: Tomoko Okada Photo: Tomoko Okada

Photo: Tomoko Okada 31 Acknowledgement

As part of the excursion to East London, which is headed by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public space at TU Wien, we would like to thank the supervisors for their support: Assoc. Prof. DI (FH) Dr. phil. Sabine Knierbein and Univ. Ass. Elina Kränzle Msc and Prof. Ed Wall, our workshop partners, who gave us an insight into their work:Suzanne O'Connell, Xavi Llarch Font, Carolina Caicedo from the Decorators.

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