Metrospective Turning the Tide

Turning the tideregenerating london's thames gateway5 july - 2 september 2006 london thames gateway is the key focus of development for growth in the capital and a priority for london and national government. it is also, happily, home to the olympic and paralympic games in 2012. but what is the general principle at work? are there too many cooks? is anyone really taking the lead? is it too dependent for its vision on private developers? this exhibition presents the state of play, looks at current projects and how it might look, feel and work in the future.

WHO DOES WHAT?

Tony Travers of the London School of Economics has described Thames Gateway
as a ‘muddle of overlapping mechanisms’. Myriad organisations have an input into
the development of Thames Gateway under the overall guidance of the Department
for Communities and Local Government within central government. This list covers
those connected with just the London end of the wider Gateway area and includes
the interplay between local authorities, urban development corporations and local
regeneration partnerships.

Whilst there are many organisations leading the development of London Thames Gateway, the perception remains that this is an area without an overall leader. Central government has chosen to put forward targets in terms of housing and jobs figures by 2016 and is working on a strategic framework to add notes on delivery, but to many developers and the public, it still appears to be an un-joined-up, messy, unplanned affair. Partially, Government’s response is that the sheer scale and heterogeneous nature of the area militates against any grand vision run from Whitehall in favour of local delivery via the boroughs.
The UDCs are commissioning
masterplans for key areas. The
Olympic and Paralympic Games of
2012, meanwhile, represent the boon
of a fixed timetable offering certainty
to regenerative efforts. And the interim framework the DCLG is working on for this November promises more on delivery, phasing and the economic
potential of the area. But for the holistic and inspiring vision that a project of this scale and significance deserves, we are still waiting…

(courtesy of http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/ )