In just ten years, the London Borough of Greenwich has turned itself from o
ne of Britain's most derelict and impoverished urban areas to one of its mo
st flourishing. The gradual disappearance of major riverside employers such
as the Royal Arsenal and British Gas led to the loss of 150 000 jobs by th
e 1980s and a legacy of over 400 ha of derelict and contaminated land. This
paper describes the circumstances which led to the formation of the Greenw
ich Waterfront Development Partnership in 1991, with aims of attracting fla
gship projects, creating greater accessibility, developing Greenwich penins
ula and securing a lasting legacy for the people of Greenwich. The Dome, th
e Jubilee Line and the Millennium Village are just three examples of how ef
fective the partnership has been.