‘Your Park, Your Place’ gives people the chance to help shape the future of the Park which will open in phases to the public from 2013, with families moving into the first new homes in 2015.

Whether inspiration comes from historical connections to the area in East London, or from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, people have eight weeks to make their suggestions to the Olympic Park Legacy Company at www.legacycompany.co.uk/competition

The website features an interactive map with descriptions of how the areas will look, along with historical information, to help people get a feel for the new neighbourhoods.

Over the next 20 years, the five neighbourhoods will accommodate up to 8,000 new homes, supported by a network of new schools, nurseries, health centres and community spaces. They will sit alongside the sporting venues, 6.5km of waterways, cultural attractions and open spaces.

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, said:

“This is a unique opportunity to shape the history of London. We want people to feel a sense of ownership of their future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the ‘Your Park, Your Place’ competition is a great opportunity to get involved with the legacy plans.

“We want your suggestions and the stories behind them. The area has a rich history ranging from its role at the forefront of the industrial revolution making confectionery, gunpowder and the first plastics, to Roman roads and other ancient settlements. People can use their own experiences of East London life for inspiration, or maybe they have relatives that worked in the area.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:

“Like any part of London these new neighbourhoods will have their own unique character, defined as much by the people who live, work and play there as by their landscape and buildings. What better start, therefore, than for Londoners to get involved in bringing them to life by naming them? Our city has some of the most famous place names of any city in the world and, with Londoners’ help, I am sure we can come up with some names that put the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park well and truly on the map and resound for centuries to come.”

Olympic Legacy Minister, Bob Neill MP, said:

“This competition will leave a tangible legacy for generations to come. I hope that having a chance to name areas within the Olympic Park will mean that people already living there can make sure their local knowledge and identity helps form the character of their area. It’s a fantastic opportunity for communities to have a real sense of ownership of the Olympic Park and I look forward to judging the many and varied suggestions.”

Entries will be judged by a panel including representatives from Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest, local residents, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Museum of London Archaeology Service and the Legacy Company.

They will select the name for each of the neighbourhoods from the entries based on factors including popularity, historical referencing and their relation to the area’s diverse communities.

The Legacy Company will be encouraging local schools to take part in the competition, along with local community, faith and sports centres.

Earlier this month, the Legacy Company announced the upcoming opportunity for developers to build the first of the five neighbourhoods which will sit between the VeloPark and the Athletes Village in the north-east of the Park. The neighbourhood, which will be developed from 2013, will be centred around 800 new homes and 3,000 sq m of community and ancillary facilities including a polyclinic, two nurseries and a community centre. You can read about this story in our New section on this website

The other four neighbourhoods will be in the north-west of the Park next to Hackney Wick, in the Old Ford area in the south-west, between Stratford City and the Stadium, and to the south-east of the Stadium near Pudding Mill Station
(see our dedicated Competition webpage for further details).

The homes will combine tradition and innovation within the development including modern versions of London’s traditional Georgian and Victorian squares and terraces, as well as riverside properties. Up to 35% of them will be affordable housing, in line with the Mayor’s London Plan.