01 The Analysis

01

THE ANALYSIS

Central London City of London

Canary Wharf Whitechapel

Limehouse Poplar

Bethnal Green

Mile End Victoria Park

Bow

Leamouth

Welcome to Poplar

Situated in East London, Poplar is an East End town within the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Poplar is bound by Canary Wharf to the south, Canning Town to the east, Bromley by Bow to the north and Limehouse to the west. Poplar’s growth as an urban area simultaneously grew with the emergence of the East India Docks where resources from all corners of the British Empire arrived into the UK. Located to the south of Poplar, East India Docks still has a significant presence separating Canary Wharf and Poplar, despite the loss of its prior functionality. Strong links to trade and industry, along with significant post-war social housing development makes Poplar intrinsically linked with working class identity, like much of the East End. This provides a striking contrast to its southern neighbour, Canary Wharf, characterized as a global financial centre from its conception in the 1980s to modern day. Analysis within this chapter will uncover the strengths and weaknesses within Poplar’s current built form. A concluding SWOT analysis will summarise the key points which will form the basis of the vision and strategy, informing the development of Poplar over the next 30 years.