The document discusses the transformation of several urban areas in Europe from the 18th century to present day. It notes that in the 19th century, many areas were seen as unsanitary and industrial, but they have since undergone regeneration efforts focusing on culture, housing, offices, and tourism. Some key similarities across places included a focus on attracting new audiences and diversifying local economies. The document suggests that historic environments often became central to regeneration agendas because of an underlying attachment between communities and places, even when under threat of change. It notes examples where communities mobilized to preserve buildings and argues this "love of the past" can anchor society. However, it also lists challenges to preserving historic character, such as pressures from local

1. Dr Rebecca Madgin
Lecturer in European Planning History
Centre for Urban History
University of Leicester
rmm13@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk

2. Castlefield, Manchester
FACTSHEET
1764: First modern cut canal
1830: First passenger railway station
1979: Conservation Area
1982: Urban Heritage Park

3. Agendas and Agencies
Castlefield’s Renaissance
1969 - 1996
Historical Societies
National Initiative Local Authorities TOURISM
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT AREA BASED TOURISM •Manchester Region
•Central Manchester •Manchester City Industrial Archaeologists
Development Council (MCC) (MRIAS)
Corporation •Greater Manchester •Victorian Society
(CMDC) Council (GMC) •Liverpool Road Station Society
•Civic Society
1988-1996 1979 – 1983 1967 - 1983

6. MERCHANT’S
WAREHOUSE

8. Motte-Bossut, Roubaix
FACTSHEET
Built: 1843
Cotton Factory
Listed: 1982
Converted: AREA and
Alain Sarfati
Now: Archives and
Euroteleport

9. Contemporary Pressures
Agenda Agency Date
Regenerate the centre- Commune de Roubaix 1970s
ville
Culture and the Grands Jack Lang, Francois Mitterand 1980s
Projets
European Market Lille Metropole; National; Post 1992
Department

10. Ostiense, Rome
FACTSHEET
1873: Piano Regolatore
Rome’s industrial area
Agenda: Correct
mono-centricity
Knowledge, service
sector economy
Release pressure on
ancient core

11. 11

12. “The reflections and experiences of the last fifty years
have consolidated the idea that Roman memory is
multi-layered and not just limited to the historic centre,
bounded by the perimeter of the ancient walls,
although this has its own identity and meaning.
In summary, the idea of memory needs to move out of
the centre to recognise the historic quality of the city
and a much larger area than just the centre.”
Translation from Comune di Roma, Piano Regolatore, 2000,
point 4.7

13. Contemporary Pressures
Failure of planning
Monocentric development
Need to diversify the economy
Poles of attraction
13

14. Identifiable Urban Agendas
Place Agenda(s) Scale
Castlefield Tourism, housing, offices, leisure, Neighbourhood, city,
socio-economic diversification region, European
Motte-Bossut Knowledge and communications Commune, region,
national, European
Schomberg Housing National and city
Ancoats Creative industries, housing, social Neighbourhood and
city
Ostiense Knowledge, service, leisure City and Europe

15. TRANSFORMATION
19th Century Post World War II Late 20th Century
“If any one wishes to see in
“Unplanned, unlovely, squalid “The worlds greatest
how little space a human
and unsanitary” manufacturing centre left
being can move, how
little air -- and such air! -- he a legacy which should
can breathe, how little of be recognised and
civilisation he may respected.”
share and yet live, it is only
necessary to travel to
Manchester.”

16. 19th Century 20th Century 21st Century
“…the presence of industry in
Rome clashes with the image of “…the slaughterhouse, there “A Roman ‘Covent
the capital. The fumes from the are rats, it is blood rotten, and Garden’ planned” with
workshop are capable of everywhere there is the smell leisure, commercial,
darkening the beautiful blue sky of waste and misery” tourist facilities
and the pace of the industrial
motor engine can upset the
calm, regal, serenity of the city”

17. Similarities
Focus on the unique
Attract
Diversify
A range of audiences
Became central to agenda

18. Incidental and Instrumental?
Why the historic environment?
What about the vernacular and the ordinary?
Can we have ‘value’ without an identifiable
‘agenda’?
Underpinning each of the schemes…

19. Attachment between people and
historic place
When threatened with change/loss individuals
and collectives were mobilised
Outside of formal institutions
Bath, Covent Garden, Les Halles, Bowstring
Bridge…
At a community level…

20. 18th century
20

21. 19th century
SPAB MANIFESTO:
“Turn public attention to the intrinsic value of
our ancient buildings, and the grievous loss
we incur by their destruction, and of teaching
how much that value, both artistic and
historical, depends on their being preserved
in a genuine condition.”

22. Post World War II
Cultural heritage is a source of;
“Emotional security and personal strength’.
Why else is the destruction and degradation
of cultural heritage so central to oppressive
regimes around the world? It is precisely
because of the deep connection between
‘one’s sense of personal agency’ and ‘one’s
cultural heritage’ that the destruction of
cultural heritage is such an effective tool of
domination.”

23. Attachment which is unlocked during crisis
moments
‘The continued existence of familiar
surroundings may satisfy a psychological
need, which even if irrational, is very real.
Nothing gives more tangible assurance of
stability than bricks and mortar.’
(Hubbard, 1993, p. 363)

24. David Lowenthal, 1985
1. Familiarity
2. Escape
3. Reaffirmation
4. Identity
5. Guidance
6. Enrichment.
24

25. Rediscover the value without the urban
agenda?
Does the ‘love of the past’ remain?
Does the historic environment have the
capacity to anchor society?

28. “Wiv got a lot o lovely buildings in Parkheid,
see like that old bank an that, like the listed
buildings, we really have, the outside a the
buildings seem really nice.”
28

29. “But this, ther fallin’ apart and then they’ve
gotta pull ‘em doon, you know, it’s losing
another part o’ the history o’ Parkhead, know
whit a mean, obviously, cos a know, av got an
old book aboot Parkhead in you go intae
Duke street, thers actually an old archway,
where ther used tae be the old Forge, bit
obviously that’s a’ been knocked doon….
em...well a think they should do somethin’
with it, we cannae keep losin these
buildings”.
29

30. “Without the buildings you wouldnae have
Parkheid, see the character of round here is
the buildings and the people are the
buildings. Parkheid is Parkheid because of
them buildings.”
30

35. Challenges
Localism
Urban redevelopment
New Planning Policy Framework