Overcoming London's east-west divide

East London's economic base has remained static and underdeveloped, apart from temporary boosts like the Docklands redevelopment. A project to rejuvenate the East Thames Corridor (ETC) has been introduced. The aim is to concentrate industrial and service-based economic activity at strategic sites. There is also potential to accommodate population growth, linked to central London by an easterly route of the Channel Tunnel high speed rail link. The challenge is to rapidly transform the economic, environmental and social conditions in the ETC, combining the principles of equity and accountability while encouraging large scale private sector investment in the region. -L.Fricker