Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the role of ‘meanwhile spaces’, temporary community development projects, as a means of materializing in the present the new, sustainable communities that are imagined as part of London’s post-Olympic legacy.

Paper long abstract:

London’s Olympic bid was built on a special vision of the 2012 games as a “force for regeneration” (House of Commons Debates “London 2012 Olympic Bid” 2005) in East London. The goal is social and economic transformation for what is described as “one of the poorest and most deprived” (MacRury and Poynter 2009) parts of the city. New homes and sustainable new communities have been identified as key indicators of the success of London’s Olympic legacy (Mayors Office 2011; London 2012/LOCOG 2010); five new neighbourhoods and over 7,000 new homes will be built in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park over the next 20-years as part of London’s Legacy Communities Scheme.

Creating a ‘sense of community’ is an important concern for the planners, policymakers and built environment professionals responsible for delivering this vision, driven by anxieties about the perceived failure of previous large-scale new housing developments to create socially integrated and cohesive new neighbourhoods. This paper explores how ‘meanwhile’ community development projects - initiatives to create temporary neighbourhood spaces for, and sometimes with, local residents - are conceived as a means of materializing in the present a fleeting glimpse of future imaginaries and the analytical possibilities this presents to understand how future plans legitimize action in the present.

References

House of Commons Debates “London 2012 Olympic Bid.” 2005. Hansard.

London 2012/LOCOG. 2010. London 2012 Sustainability Plan. London: London 2012/LOCOG.

MacRury, Iain, and Gavin Poynter. 2009. London’s Olympic Legacy A “Thinkpiece” Report Prepared for the OECD and Department for Communities and Local Government. London East Research Institute.

Mayors Office. 2011. Convergence Framework and Action Plan 2011-2015. Six Host Boroughs, Mayors Office.