Culture-led regeneration and spatial planning

Abstract

This thesis critically reviews epistemological and methodological aspects of the application of spatial planning policy for cultural clustering in the UK. The thesis contains four published papers and a critical review of these papers. Particular attention is given to issue of the theoretical and conceptual underpinning with respect to policy for cultural clustering, and in particular the way in which such policy reflects issues of local identity. It is argued that such policy lacks coherent theoretical and conceptual underpinning, and also lacks linkage with local identity. For such reasons, it is argued that policy is frequently potentially sub-optimal or even counter-productive in terms of outcomes. It is further argued that the thesis contributes to the development of the spatial planning discipline by providing new evidence and understanding of the operation of cultural clustering policy and its potential effects.