Introduction: Geographies of renewal and creative change: Assessing urban transformation

Critical directions Processes of urban change are defined and understood differently across and within different geographies. In Europe, policymakers favour the term ‘regeneration’, whereas in North America, ‘renewal’, ‘redevelopment’ or ‘revitalization’ are commonly used. However, shifting economic conditions, demographic composition and environmental pressures mean that, for most long-established cities, managing urban change is a high-priority issue (Wang et al., 2014). In this book, we use the term ‘transformation’ in recognition of the agency underpinning urban change: whether driven by local situations, civic agendas, regional influences or national policy, the ongoing processes of unmaking and remaking in our cities necessarily serve or undermine different interest groups. Although economic growth, environmentally sustainable development and social justice might be broadly accepted as the ideal goals of urban planning (Bramley et al., 2004), there is no easy synergy between those objectives. As academics engaged with urban and social geography, it is our role to tell the story of how urban transformation impacts on people’s lives and everyday interactions – to question where and to whom benefit accrues from these changes. The purpose of this book, therefore, is to critically assess the theory and practice of urban transformation in different geographic and socio-political contexts and, in doing so, offer insight into both risk and reward as local communities and public authorities creatively address the challenge of building vital and sustainable urban environments.