Setting the Bar: Preparing for London's Olympic legacy

Article

A year after winning the bid, London is gearing up to deliver the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Games plan promises to regenerate the East London site and its surroundings. This paper assesses the likely economic impact of the Games on East London, Greater London and the UK.

A year after winning the bid, London is gearing up to deliver the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Games plan promises to regenerate the East London site and its surroundings. This paper assesses the likely economic impact of the Games on East London, Greater London and the UK.

We need to be realistic about what the Games can deliver. Not all local residents will be able to access the employment opportunities created by the Games. And areas outside of London will not all gain as much as they anticipate. To avoid disappointment later, we should all adjust our expectations now.

A substantial, lasting London 2012 legacy is within reach. But London needs to make sure that the potential gains are realised. The benefits will not just happen automatically. Success depends on whether we have put in place the appropriate mechanisms and partnerships to deliver a legacy of wider economic benefits.

Centre for Cities has re-launched as an independent think tank. You can visit them online at http://www.centreforcities.org.

Related items

  1. View of Bank of England, Royal Exchange, and Duke of Wellington equestrian statue (1844) with skyscrapers and construction in background.

    Navigating in the fog: Why the OBR should hold its nerve on the productivity forecast

    The fiscal watchdog is under pressure to downgrade its forecast, costing the chancellor billions – but this would be premature.
  2. A busy bus full of people of all ages. An older couple smile at a younger woman with a baby in a pushchair

    Everyday concerns: What people want from transport

    Transport has a key role to play in achieving the UK government's missions and improving lives. 
  3. An unrecognisable woman playing a slot machine in a social club

    Reforming gambling taxation: How to lift half a million children out of poverty

    A key priority for the government’s upcoming child poverty strategy should be to remove the two-child limit and scrap the household benefit cap.