East London has undergone dramatic social, economic and physical changes since the closure of the docklands and loss of manufacturing industries. The development of Canary Wharf and the Thames Gateway, and more recently large-scale regeneration linked to the 2012 Olympic Games and in the Royal Docks, has changed the lives, jobs and opportunities of local communities and the landscape.

This research focuses on understanding what prosperity means to people living in east London neighbourhoods because the goal of the 2012 Olympic Legacy is ‘prosperity for all’: a commitment to close the gap in prosperity, health and opportunities for deprived neighbourhoods in east London within 20-years of the Games. Attracting new cultural and educational institutions and innovative employers to the Olympic Park, alongside investments in housing, schools, parks and public facilities are part of Olympic Legacy regeneration strategies that aim to achieve ‘inclusive’ change.

Yet experience shows that large-scale regeneration is not guaranteed to benefit established residents and businesses. Regeneration often focuses on low-income neighbourhoods. Increases in land and property prices linked to investments in new housing, infrastructure and employment, disproportionately impact on local businesses, community services and long-term residents who are often dislocated or displaced by changes.

The goal of this research is to bring community voices, experiences and ideas into policymaking about regeneration and change in east London by working with citizen social scientists and decision-makers in government, business and the voluntary sector on community-based research to provide different kinds of knowledge about prosperity and prosperous communities.