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.