Moore, G.E.;
(2010)
The effectiveness of small-scale urban public open space regeneration processes at delivering sustainable communities: UK Case Study - Groundwork North London.
Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).
Abstract
The essence of engagement-driven regeneration is the involvement of a range of stakeholders, including local people, in the planning and delivery of regeneration schemes to improve their local area. This approach rests upon the assumption that involving a range of stakeholders in decision-making has a key role in making the regeneration of urban areas sustainable. The intention of this research is to investigate whether the processes used to deliver sustainable communities in the urban environment are effective. Specifically, the scope of this thesis is the regeneration of small, open, urban public spaces and how, why and to what extent the practical mechanisms and social processes used to understand and deliver 'sustainability' are effective and appropriate. Furthermore the research examines stakeholders' experiences of one engagement-driven approach to regeneration intended to deliver sustainable communities. This research uses a case study design, set within an inductive, interpretative, theoretical framework. The research focuses upon a Case Study of a UK environmental regeneration charity called Groundwork. The regeneration projects undertaken by Groundwork have the dual aim of urban improvement and social change. Groundwork operates in partnership with local people, businesses and local authorities taking an engagement-driven approach to regeneration. A mixed methodological approach is used within this thesis, incorporating document analysis, semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and photography and walking. The research explores and documents the practical manifestations of what an engagement-driven approach to regeneration consists of in practice: dissecting, describing and critically reviewing one regeneration model. The examination of the processes by which stakeholders engage in urban regeneration revealed a model of order and control; a managed process, with clear steps and stages to the process of change. This research illustrates that through the process of engagement and change, the dynamics and relations between individuals alter. The study offers a critical distinction between the engaged and the engager (those who manage the process of engagement), relating to the concepts of structure, power and agency within the process of engagement. The processes of engagement created a different dynamic -not just between regeneration agencies and the local residents -but within these groupings. The ethos of the Case Study, of dialogue, engagement and exchange, can get diluted and distorted by the realities on the ground. Thinking of the regeneration in this way will have implications on how the effectiveness and success of such initiatives are assessed.
Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
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Title: | The effectiveness of small-scale urban public open space regeneration processes at delivering sustainable communities: UK Case Study - Groundwork North London |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | Permission for digitisation not received |
UCL classification: | |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/774340 |
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