
Urban regeneration happens when an urban area is upgraded. The aim is to improve both the economic and social spaces within a city. This usually takes place when areas of dereliction, pollution or brown-field spaces are restored or the area is used for new purposes.
Full Answer
What is regeneration in geography?
Regeneration in geography involves strategies to improve an area. This could be through the construction of infrastructure, development of new housing, refurbishing the existing buildings, encouraging investment or any other activity that would improve an area.
What is urban regeneration and why does it matter?
Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both improving the physical structure, and, more importantly and elusively, the economy of those areas.
Is your rural area in need of regeneration?
Rural areas may also be in need or rebranding and regeneration. Cornwall is a good example of a deprived rural area in the UK that has has seen major efforts to rebrand and regenerate the county. Updating...
Why study regeneration a level?
As part of the A Level course, it is important not only to understand what regeneration is and the impacts that it has, but also to put this into context. Case studies are a good way of putting the concepts into the real world and seeing exactly how they work and what influences them.

What is the purpose of regeneration in geography?
Regeneration has been defined by the Department for Communities and Local Government as "reversing economic, social, and physical decline in areas where market forces will not do this without support from government" (DCLG 2008).
Why does urban regeneration occur?
Urban regeneration happens when an urban area is upgraded. The aim is to improve both the economic and social spaces within a city. This usually takes place when areas of dereliction, pollution or brown-field spaces are restored or the area is used for new purposes.
How is an area regenerated?
Regeneration can involve the investment of public money to encourage and direct private finance into a particular area. Governments often define regeneration as being a supportive measure in areas of economic and social decline where market forces have failed.
Why is economic regeneration needed?
Economic regeneration is important because it can strengthen the local economy of a place and tackle unemployment.
What regeneration means?
Definition of regeneration 1 : an act or the process of regenerating : the state of being regenerated. 2 : spiritual renewal or revival. 3 : renewal or restoration of a body, bodily part, or biological system (such as a forest) after injury or as a normal process.
What is rural regeneration geography?
Then, “rural regeneration” will be introduced as mix of policies and approaches aiming to the social, economic and community (re)development of a rural area, counteracting phenomena such as decline, depopulation and abandonment.
What is regeneration of a town?
Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both improving the physical structure, and, more importantly and elusively, the economy of those areas. In all regeneration programmes, public money is used as an attempt to pump prime private investment into an area.
What are the effects of regeneration?
Regeneration can have several negative impacts on people and places. These negative impacts can include but are not limited to; economic inequality; displacement of locals; loss of place character; threat to local businesses and the introduction of community conflicts.
What are the different types of regeneration geography?
As noted above, there are 3 types of urban regeneration: economic, social/cultural, and environmental. It is important that regeneration projects in any capacity are designed with sustainability in mind as well as ensure a good quality of life for people who live and work in the area.
How does regeneration improve the environment?
Regeneration often attempts to improve the environmental quality by: Redeveloping derelict land and buildings, and removing contaminants (chemical and dangerous organic substances in the ground, a legacy of previous industrial use) from former industrial sites.
What makes a successful regeneration?
A successful regeneration project builds on the history of a place, drawing on both its culture and its economy. But this marrying of the cultural and the economic has to be authentic.
What is environmental regeneration?
Environmental regeneration, where the focus is on land renewal through the reclamation of derelict land and environmental improvement. The above behave like overlapping circles where different projects will have blends of each.”
When did urban regeneration start?
Across Europe and North America, urban regeneration began in earnest from the 1980s as an attempt to ameliorate the negative effects of de- industrialisation and enable cities to attract new investment in the global economy.
What are the key elements of urban regeneration?
Four major aspects of urban change are considered in the following section:economic transition and employment change;social and community issues;physical obsolescence and new land and property requirements;environmental quality and sustainable development.
How is urban regeneration done?
Urban regeneration, sometimes referred to as urban renewal, involves the investment of public money or private finance into areas in need of lasting improvement. Examples of well-known urban regeneration projects include the construction of the Millenium Dome and the creation of the 2012 Olympic Park.
What is the need for urban revitalization?
Title I of the Housing Act of 1949 kick-started the urban renewal program that would reshape American cities. Urban renewal can have many positive effects, including better quality housing, reduced sprawl, increased economic competitiveness, improved cultural and social amenities, and improved safety.
What is the definition of regeneration?
Regeneration is the long-term upgrading of existing urban, rural, industrial and commercial areas to bring about social and economic change.
What are public-private partnerships?
This is when regeneration projects involving infrastructure are generally expensive so the government provides most of the capital needed and the p...
What kind of government departments are involved in infrastructure regeneration?
Government departments such as: -Local councils -Department for Culture, Media and Sport -Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs -UK Tr...
What are benefits of regeneration through infrastructure?
The benefits of regeneration through infrastructure would be the high volume of jobs produced due to construction. Also improving transport links c...
What are the risks of regeneration through infrastructure?
The risks of regeneration through infrastructure would be the high costs which could change during the construction because of inflation and changi...
Give an example of infrastructure projects in the UK.
-The expansion of Heathrow airport = A project to expand to build a third runway is expected to cost under 20 billion pounds and potentially create...
Why is regeneration through housing needed in the UK?
In the UK, housing is an important strategy of regeneration as the population continues to grow, the demand for houses increase beyond what is supp...
What were the factors that caused the housing issues in the UK?
-Lack of social housing = This stems from the large amount of social housing that was sold due to Margaret Thatcher's "Right to Buy" scheme to the...
What are the benefit of housing construction?
The benefits for housing construction is there is a need for housing as there is a major issue concerning lack of housing and that construction job...
What do we know about regeneration?
What do we know? ▼. Salamanders, planarians and a number of other species regrow damaged or missing body parts. This is regeneration. Some human organs, e.g. liver and skin, also regenerate when they are damaged. Regeneration can happen in many different ways using pluripotent or tissue-specific stem cells.
How does regeneration work?
As well as using stem cells, regeneration can work by causing differentiated cells that had stopped dividing to ‘go back’ to dividing and multiplying in order to replace the lost tissue. This has recently been shown to happen in heart regeneration in zebrafish, where a heart muscle cell called the cardiomyocyte divides to replenish missing cardiac tissue. This regenerative phenomenon has also been found in newly born mouse hearts, but is rapidly lost as the mice mature. More research is needed to understand how differentiated cells can be made to divide and produce new heart tissue, and why this capacity is lost in humans.
What do salamanders use to regenerate their limbs?
This is another question that scientists are working on now. Salamander limb regeneration: Salamanders use tissue-specific stem cells to regrow damaged limbs - each stem cell can only make cells belonging to one tissue.
What is the meaning of regeneration in animals?
Future research and regenerative medicine. Find out more. Acknowledgements and references. Regeneration means the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver.
How long does it take for a salamander to regrow its leg?
A young salamander can regrow a whole leg in about five weeks.
Why is it important to study regeneration?
Studying regeneration in other species will help us understand how the human body heals and repairs itself. This could help researchers develop regenerative medicines to help the human body more fully heal.
Can human tissues regenerate?
Unfortunately many other human tissues don’t regenerate, and a goal in regenerative medicine is to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body, or to engineer replacement tissues. There are many animals that can regenerate complex body parts with full function and form after amputation or injury.
What is urban regeneration?
Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both improving the physical structure, and, more importantly and elusively, the economy of those areas. In all regeneration programmes, public money is used as an attempt to pump prime private investment into an area.
What are the two main regeneration funds?
There are currently two main regeneration funds: the new deal for communities and the neighbourhood renewal fund. But there are also a raft of other funding streams focused on specific activities that used to help regeneration initiatives. These include: lottery funding, cash for the education, employment and health action zones; and the Housing Corporation cash for new social housing, 60% of which has to support regeneration schemes.
When did the neighbourhood renewal fund start?
The £800m neighbourhood renewal fund, which starts in 2001-02, will be targeted at the most deprived areas, on the basis of need, as extra help to meet government targets for reducing inequality.
What is urban regeneration?
Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both improving the physical structure, and, more importantly and elusively, the economy of those areas. In all regeneration programmes, public money is used as an attempt to pump prime private investment into an area.
What are the two main regeneration funds?
There are currently two main regeneration funds: the new deal for communities and the neighbourhood renewal fund. But there are also a raft of other funding streams focused on specific activities that used to help regeneration initiatives.
When did the neighbourhood renewal fund start?
The £800m neighbourhood renewal fund, which starts in 2001-02, will be targeted at the most deprived areas, on the basis of need, as extra help to meet government targets for reducing inequality.
What is the difference between regeneration and rebranding?
Regeneration is about making physical improvements to housing and infrastructure and job creation. Rebranding on the other hand is about improving the image of a place to attract inward investment, tourists and shoppers. The two processes often work hand in hand and are mutually supportive.
What is rebranding places?
Rebranding places is about how cities and rural areas re-brand and re- image themselves in an attempt to regenerate, often as a response to decline brought about by a changing economy. Many urban areas have been negatively affected by de-industrialisation brought on by increasing levels of technology and foreign competition. Once industry is lost a spiral of urban decline can be set in motion.
Is it hard to break the cycle of decline?
Escaping this cycle of decline can be extremely difficult, especially as an area in decline will most likely be unattractive to potential investors. Rebranding and regeneration my require local or national government support to break this cycle.
What are the phases of regeneration?
To help identify the sequence of actions needed for a regeneration process, this guidebook identifies four distinct phases: scoping, planning, financing, and implementation . Each phase includes a set of unique tools that local governments can use to systematically design a regeneration process. In addition to the four phases, the guidebook will also define three major assets that the city can use for urban regeneration; these are land, community, and the environment. Tools for managing each asset will be presented (see right).
Why is the planning framework important for regeneration?
It is vital to sustaining the regeneration vision through the inevitable changes and unforeseen challenges of market and political cycles. However, it is equally important not to create an overly strict planning structure, which rigidly regulates the outcomes as it discourages private investment. An effective planning framework will balance vision, planning principles and facilitates negotiation amongst the public, private and community sectors.
What is scoping in urban regeneration?
Scoping is a process, which provides decision makers with a strategic assessment to identify and promote regeneration. Scoping provides an analytical foundation and engagement process that the city leaders can use to generate choices and to debate and decide on the best course of action. A sound scoping process supplies city leaders with analytical tools to confront issues facing the city that are vital to its future, and to make strategic decisions on the direction they want their city to pursue. Scoping is both forward looking and backward looking. It is forward looking by analyzing what is required for the city and regeneration area to be successful in the future and backward looking in understanding the city’s history and the unique “DNA” of the city that are precedent for prudent action and can be capitalized on.
Why do cities have pockets of underutilized land?
These pockets of underused land weaken the city’s image, livability, and productivity. They are usually the result of changes in the urban growth and productivity patterns.
Is urban regeneration a public or private sector project?
Rarely are urban regeneration projects implemented solely by the public sector. The need for massive financial resources is one factor. However, even if the government could provide the necessary resources for regenerating urban land, the buy in from the community and business sector is needed to ensure the sustainability of regeneration efforts. Consequently, participation of the private sector is a determining factor in success of regeneration of underutilized urban land.

A Level Regeneration Case Studies
- As part of the A Level course, it is important not only to understand what regeneration is and the impacts that it has, but also to put this into context. Case studies are a good way of putting the concepts into the real world and seeing exactly how they work and what influences them.
Urban Regeneration Case Studies
- Urban regeneration case studies, as the name suggests, are examples of regeneration projects occurring in urban areas. Some urban areas are targeted for regeneration because of challenges, such as deindustrialisation, dereliction, economic decline and mass deprivation. Such issues are common in contemporary urban environments. Some examples of urban regeneration case stud…
Town Centre Regeneration Case Studies
- A town centre, like an urban area more generally, is a common place targeted by regeneration projects. This is because there is a pattern of town centres undergoing periods of economic decline, resulting in the urban challenges mentioned above. This happens for many reasons. The most prominent of these are arguably the processes of suburbanisation ...