Case Study: Urban regeneration in the London docks

Question 1

Decline occurred after WW2 due to;

Answer 1

• The port was too small to fit large, modern ships
• Most manufacturing was done abroad so we have less need for exports via sea
• Younger, educated population leaving city due to lack of opportunities, so less new employees
• Transport links in and out of central London were poor, making it difficult to transport Goods in and out of London

Question 2

Social changes

Answer 2

• Docklands Sailing and Watersports centre
• New Healthcare clinics and new schools
• New transport - Docklands light railway
• Creation of new open spaces
• Total of 22000 new homes built
• New shopping centre built
• Many restaurants, pubs and cafes built
• Major new roads linking nearby motorways
• Tv studios and newspaper offices built in Canary Wharf

Question 3

Economic changes

Answer 3

• Unemployment fell by 7%
• £10 million spent on improvements to affordable council and housing association homes
• Conversion and gentrification of old warehouses to new homes
• Large new shopping centre of Canary Wharf with over 30 shops
• 2700 new business set up
• A new airport built in former royal docks ‘City airport’
• Financial and high tech firms

Question 4

Environmental changes

Answer 4

• Pedestrian and cycle routes built through area with access to river and dock edge
• London’s first bird sanctuary
• Planting of 200,000 trees
• The areas has now received many awards for wildlife conservation and landscaping

Question 5

Negatives of the regeneration

Answer 5

• Many locals were unable to afford the high cost of the new expensive houses
• Despite an increase in jobs, most new jobs required skills that the old dockers were not trained in
• Reduction in community spirit that the old Docklands had - with the middle and high income newcomers not mixing with the older local ‘eastenders’