Last week, the Queen Elizabeth Park Economic and Social Impact Report was launched at Sadler’s Wells East, alongside the London Legacy Development Corporation’s new Framework for Inclusive Growth.
In 2024, Prior + Partners were appointed by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to lead an independent assessment quantifying and articulating the economic and social impacts of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since 2012.
Working alongside collaborators at Future Places Studio, our team produced the report highlighting the Park’s role in reshaping London’s economic geography, showcasing its evolution from a landmark regeneration project into a thriving, globally recognised destination and Innovation District.
As part of last Monday’s event, LLDC also introduced their new Framework for Inclusive Growth – the details of this work can be accessed here, with Prior + Partners-led report viewed here.
Our research distils the key drivers of success and lessons for large-scale regeneration and future Mayoral Development Corporations. The report also represents a full-circle moment for our practice: Founding Partner Jason Prior played an instrumental role in the Park’s original design and delivery, leading the masterplan from bid stage through to legacy for this globally significant brownfield regeneration project.
The report highlights Prior + Partners’ compelling approach to economic and social impact and economic projections, bringing together robust analytical rigour, clear storytelling, and a deep understanding of multi-dimensional impacts of regeneration. Particular focus has been given to understanding the drivers and conditions for success, and how these can be used to continue driving impact, attract investment, and move to a more inclusive economy.
This work is strengthened by our in-house graphics and brand identity team, who translate complex research and data into clear, engaging, and strategically effective storytelling.
Polly Barker, Project Director for the research at Prior + Partners, describes:
‘’The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is an extraordinary global regeneration story, and it has been a privilege to work so closely with the LLDC, the Park partners, and the growth boroughs over the past year to reflect. Our analysis shows the Park’s role as a significant driver of east London’s economy, but it also highlights that regeneration does not stop as construction, and many impacts and opportunities are still ahead, for both the local economy and the people of east London. By understanding what has driven that change, we hope our work underlines the value of evaluating programmes, and offers practical, evidence-based lessons for the Park’s next stage of growth, as well as for the emerging wave of new towns across the UK.’’
To find out more about our work in this area, please reach out to
newbusiness@priorparnters.com
Prior + Partners’ is continuing to work with LLDC, and currently leading an impact evaluation and study of their inclusive growth assets, including the Good Growth Hub and East Education. These initiatives are focused on creating good jobs and building skills for east Londoners. Prior + Partners role is to assess their impacts to date and provide learnings and advice on how these can be scaled locally and sub-regionally – this is one of the core themes of LLDC’s Inclusive Growth Strategy.
