Stratford exogenous

• People and culture

  • Stratford’s population has steadily increased (9%) from the 1970s onwards
  • lower income, unskilled workers from former colonies in the Indian Subcontinent and West Africa, which has very heavily changed the demographic of the area.
  • Since the Olympic Games, there has been an influx of wealthier individuals, who are well-educated and bring new skillsets to growing T&Q industries
  • UCL (University College London) East, with a whole new campus able with over 5,000 students from 2023.
  • a majority of people commute - Stratford station is now the 7tH busiest in the UK
• capital ‘wealth’

  • rapidly increasing since the Olympic Games and construction of Westfield Stratford - positive multiplier effect on locals and businesses.
  • the development will benefit TNCs - only companies able to afford the now costly real estate but harm the high street and local businesses
  • 50% of shops = chain stores - clone town
  • In the last 10 years median household incomes have risen by 15% to around £27,000 but median house prices have jumped up 30%. Developers are reluctant to construct ‘affordable housing’ - displacement of locals from now demolished estates such as Clay’s Lane.
• infrastructure & resources

  • Arguably the biggest reason for Stratford’s recent growth and the Olympics was its strategic location and high-quality infrastructure which has been built out in the last 20 years, connecting areas as far flung as the South Coast, Norfolk and, with a train connection, continental Europe via. Eurostar. This has brought in many people both attracted to the area and as commuters, but inflated living costs.
  • West Ham FC also have a lease on the Olympic Stadium at over £2.5million per year.
• 2012 olympics

  • 470,000 tourists visited during the Olympic Season, over 25 million since then (*2020 est.)
  • Cost £9 Billion
  • Tourists spent around £700 million
  • Brought green spaces to area, new facilities and better transport links
  • Westfield Stratford City constructed alongside at a cost of £1.45 Billion in 2011, providing 10000 jobs.