London, however, seems to be bucking the trend. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, reopened to crowds of visitors just a year after the closing ceremony. More recently, venues such as the aquatics centre and velodrome have come back into use. But the legacy set out when the capital made its Olympics bid was always much more than the park and sporting facilities. Five years after the games were held, how does today’s vision compare to what was originally promised?

The original high-density vision

In 6 July 2005, the International Olympic Committee announced that London would be hosting the 2012 games. At the time, the team behind the bid pointed to plans for an impressive legacy as a key factor in its success.

Andrew Jones, practice leader at consultancy AECOM, which has advised on the Olympic Park project since 2003, says the potential for the games to regenerate a large swathe of east London was always the most important thing for then London mayor Ken Livingstone – something reflected in the original 2004 post-games masterplan by the London Development Agency and AECOM. "The mayor’s position was that he wanted it to be seen as regeneration rather than as hosting the Olympics," says Jones. "The masterplan started with legacy and blended that with both permanent and temporary facilities for the games."

Well before the bid had been won, outline planning applications, including the masterplan, were submitted for the Olympic venues and post-games development. At this stage, the legacy was seen primarily as a residential opportunity, with the applications proposing high-density plans for up to 10,000 homes on the park, mostly high-rise one- and two-bedroom flats, on plots around the sporting venues. About half were earmarked for affordable rent or sale. There were also plans for a 200-hectare park as well as schools and 93,000 square metres of Olympic media facilities to be used as employment space. On 9 September 2004, after a lengthy planning meeting at London’s City Hall, the applications were approved by the four original host boroughs – Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

The lower-density ‘Great estates’ vision

However, by mid-2009, as London geared up to host the games, doubts began to be raised about the direction of the legacy plans. Among those with concerns was Boris Johnson, who had been elected London mayor in 2008. "There was a concern that the density would be too high," recalls Vivienne Ramsey, former director of planning policy and decisions at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and, before that, planning director at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). "To get those numbers, it would be mainly flats. He wanted more family houses."

A new masterplan was revealed in October 2010, prepared by the LLDC’s predecessor, the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC). It marked a significant departure from the previous vision. At the time, OPLC chief executive Andrew Altman said the plan was inspired by London’s "great estates" such as Grosvenor and Portland, with low-density housing and long-term stewardship over development. The number of housing units had been cut to 8,000, with fewer high-rise buildings and more emphasis on family homes with gardens.

The five neighbourhoods – and a lower housing target

Just under a year later, the plan had evolved again. The Legacy Communities Scheme masterplan, drawn up by AECOM and the LLDC, proposed 6,800 homes across five neighbourhoods – Chobham Manor, East Wick, Sweetwater, Marshgate Wharf and Pudding Mill. It also featured 130,000 square metres of employment space – substantially more than the 2004 plans – but just 100 hectares of green space – half the original promised amount. It proposed an affordable housing target of 35 per cent – less than the 50 per cent aspiration in 2004.

According to Ramsey, housing numbers were reduced as the characteristics of the five neighbourhoods took shape. The cut in the overall number of homes was also necessary to accommodate the desired mix of sizes – whereas the early vision comprised mostly of one- and two-bedroom flats, 42 per cent of the residential units were now to contain three bedrooms or more. In June 2012, the ODA gave the plan the green light, with government approval following in September that year.

‘Olympicopolis’ – the cultural and educational quarter

Nearly ten years after the first outline applications were submitted, the legacy was still very much a residential vision. But in December 2013, plans for "Olympicopolis" were announced by ex-chancellor George Osborne, marking a major shift in direction. The Victoria and Albert Museum and University College London (UCL) had both been signed up in an attempt to create a new cultural and educational quarter on the park. At the time, Johnson said: "I want to raise our ambitions for this magnificent site to squeeze out every drop of potential." However, after the announcement, the LLDC revealed that the presence of the new quarter meant that that there could be up to 1,000 fewer homes on the park.

Ralph Ward, former government regeneration adviser and a visiting professor at the University of East London, says the shift away from a residential focus was welcome. "I was very frustrated that [the site] was only going to be used for housing," he says. "The great thing about Olympicopolis is, it generates further potential growth and it’ll attract other kinds of activity to the area. It’s an imaginative and positive proposal."

How is the legacy likely to change in future?

This cultural and education quarter has taken off in a way few would have predicted before London won its Olympics bid. Sadler’s Wells Theatre is now set to open an outpost on the park. The University of the Arts London will be opening a new campus. Outline plans for UCL East, a UCL campus, were submitted in May 2017. Rosanna Lawes, the LLDC’s executive director of development, believes this list of tenants could continue to grow. "With institutions of that calibre, where people invest, others tend to follow," she says.

Construction work is also well under way on the first neighbourhood, Chobham Manor, where 859 homes are proposed. According to the LLDC, 150 of the 259 homes in the first phase have been built, with the rest under construction.

However, the success of this cultural quarter may require sacrifices in other areas. Lawes says up to 1,500 homes could now be lost from the Legacy Communities Scheme masterplan due to the growing number of culture and education facilities. However, she adds: "We’re looking at opportunities to maintain that 6,800 figure."

Politics will continue to play a part in the legacy’s evolution. Just as Johnson brought his own priorities to the Olympic Park project, so has Sadiq Khan. London’s current mayor has pledged to seek 50 per cent affordable homes in all new developments. Previously, the LLDC had been seeking 35 per cent from its development partners. In July 2016, then LLDC chair David Edmonds confirmed that schemes were being re-examined to see whether Khan’s ambition could be met.

Lawes says this work is ongoing. "We’re working with colleagues in the mayor’s office, looking at whether we can increase our ambition and where we can drive more affordable housing," she says. But the LLDC will need to bear financial objectives in mind as well. "Like with any public authority, we’ve got our obligations to ensure we achieve best value for our sites," she adds.

In July 2015, the LLDC adopted its local plan, covering the Olympic Park and its surrounding areas.

Though the document does not specify the number of homes to be built on the park, Ramsey has said it reflects the aspirations of the Legacies Community Scheme. Though only published two years ago, Lawes says the LLDC is already "looking at our next iteration" of the local plan. An updated version is expected in two-to-three years, according to Lawes – and will be just the latest chapter in an unfolding story.

Source: Planning Resource