London 2012 legacy: E20 – creating an integrated piece of city

The master plan for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was fundamentally inward facing. One of the primary tasks of the London Legacy Development Corporation is to ensure the five new communities in and around the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – which collectively form the new E20 postcode – socially and economically converge with the rest of London. This paper describes physical and perceptual links that support the park's use by the local public; discusses the importance high-quality connectivity, public realm and housing; and explores how ‘local' must be balanced with ‘metropolitan' in this unique setting. Ultimately, the seamless integration of the old with the new is fundamental to the success of this new piece of city.