New east London end

    Updated: 2012-08-12 10:30:20

    By Cecily Liu ( China Daily)

      Comments() Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按鈕 0

    Newham mayor convinced the Games site will change the way the world see East London. He tells Cecily Liu why.

    Beijing's Olympics transformed the world's perception of China forever, but one legacy London hopes to create with its Olympics is starkly different.

    It is the regeneration of East London's Stratford, an area blighted by poverty, neglect and pollution from industrial activities of the past until London won its Olympic bid seven years ago.

    New east London end

    Newham includes the 250-hectare park which now has the Olympic Stadium at its heart. [Photo/Xinhua]

    "It seems to me that China wanted to show itself to the world and that was successful, so I think China got the legacy it wanted," says Robyn Wales, mayor of the London borough of Newham, which contains Stratford district and much of the Olympic Park.

    New east London end

    Robyn Wales, mayor of the London borough of Newham. 

    "We are an area of poverty, and I want Newham to be a place for people who work, a place where people can bring their kids up in a decent place," he says.

    According to Wales, his borough is the second most deprived in Britain and life expectancy is several years lower than in wealthier central London - hence, "convergence" with the rest of London is the legacy he hopes to see.

    In the last few years, Stratford's appearance has been transformed by the building of the Olympic Park, which cost the British government 9 billion pounds (more than $14 billion).

    The opening of Westfield, Europe's largest urban shopping mall, on the edge of the Olympic Park last September has also put thousands of locals back to work.

    Regeneration also includes transport infrastructures, like the upgraded underground lines, high-speed trains, and cable cars.

    The challenge now, Wales says, is to ensure Stratford's newfound vibrancy continues beyond the Olympics. In particular, he hopes the Newham government's achievement of helping 5,000 locals find jobs last year can be repeated every year for a decade.

    "If we keep it going for the next decade, then we will see a change for our people - and the Olympics and all the investment will have been worthwhile," he says.

    After the Games, the Olympic Park will be developed into a new community that includes schools, nurseries, community spaces, health centers and 6,800 new homes, creating 8,000 permanent jobs in the process.

    To be reopened as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the area is expected to include technology companies, a base for university campuses and a new tourism attraction.

    The fate of the Olympic stadium is still to be decided, with local Premier League football club West Ham among four bidders who want to move in after the Games.

    But the aquatic center will become a community swimming pool, and the velodrome will become a local cycling venue, known as the VeloPark.

    The blocks of flats where athletes are housed will provide 2,800 new rental homes from next year in a development named East Village.

    New east London end

    Russian beach volleyball players practise inside the Olympic athletes village in Stratford, East London. [Photo/Agencies]

    The press and broadcast center will be transformed into a new complex with 91,000 square meters of business space, available for businesses to rent.

    Wales describes the Games as the "opportunity of a lifetime", especially for local youth who are desperate for work. "What we are really proud to show in our area is our people," he says.

    Wales, who went to see the Beijing Olympics four years ago, was "very impressed" with the show that his Chinese hosts put on - though he hopes London will be able to take better advantage of its Olympic facilities after the Games.

    He now encourages Chinese businesses and investors to visit Stratford, and to help develop the area or open offices in the new blocks available.

    "We are keen to get Chinese investment. We have an area a third the size of Manhattan to develop. There are lots of opportunities, so come and develop it," he says.

    Contact the writer at cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn

     

    Medal Count

     
    1 46 29 29
    2 38 27 22
    3 29 17 19
    4 24 25 33
    5 13 8 7
    6 11 19 14

    Watch the Future of Olympic Sports

    SUPERBODIES 2012:
    Soccer
    Click for HD

    Most Viewed

    Gold medal moments

    Age not a problem for Olympic dreams

    Olympic moments to remember

    Beijing Olympics just keeps on giving

    Against the Olympic spirit

    Olympic fashion tips

    Taking success overseas

    more

    Competition Schedule

    ...
    ...
    丰满熟妇乱又伦在线无码视频| 中文字幕一区二区人妻| 人妻无码αv中文字幕久久琪琪布 人妻无码人妻有码中文字幕 | 国产办公室秘书无码精品99| 一本一道色欲综合网中文字幕| 亚洲av无码成人精品区| 亚洲精品无码久久久久久| 欧美日韩中文字幕2020| 国产又爽又黄无码无遮挡在线观看 | 99国产精品无码| 精品欧洲av无码一区二区14| 香蕉伊蕉伊中文视频在线| 国产成人无码18禁午夜福利p| 中文字幕无码不卡在线| 制服丝袜人妻中文字幕在线| 国产精品亚洲аv无码播放| 高潮潮喷奶水飞溅视频无码| 最近更新中文字幕在线| 亚洲 日韩经典 中文字幕| 狠狠精品久久久无码中文字幕| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区五十路百度| 最近中文字幕2019高清免费 | 99re热这里只有精品视频中文字幕| 国产精品无码日韩欧| 无码专区永久免费AV网站| 中文字幕久久精品无码| 中文亚洲日韩欧美| √天堂中文www官网在线| 伊人久久无码中文字幕| 熟妇人妻中文字幕| 2019亚洲午夜无码天堂| 日韩乱码人妻无码中文字幕久久| 亚洲va无码专区国产乱码| 午夜不卡久久精品无码免费| 亚洲av永久无码精品秋霞电影影院| 亚洲中文字幕无码久久2020| 亚洲熟妇无码另类久久久| 精品人妻无码区在线视频| 日本中文字幕网站| 无码专区6080yy国产电影| 亚洲?V无码乱码国产精品 |