A theoretical framework for successful urban heritage regeneration projects involving private sector development companies

The use of heritage assets in regeneration projects has been considered a key urban regeneration initiative in the United Kingdom promoted by central government. This is due to their potential to regenerate inner-city sites and thus stimulate economic activity in the immediate locality. Recent changes to governance have resulted in a lack of funding for such heritage led projects creating a plateau in public and private sector investment into heritage led regeneration projects. The research is concerned with heritage-led regeneration projects in the North West of England between 2008 and the present day. This thesis develops a theoretical framework to encourage private sector development companies to become involved in urban heritage regeneration projects. It provides an examination of successful regeneration projects and evaluates the value of urban heritage regeneration. A critical analysis of current governance of urban heritage regeneration is presented along with the identification of key opportunities and constraints, affecting participation in these projects by private sector development companies. Adopting a pragmatic ontological stance and using the research approach of mixed methods research; a single embedded case study is provided. This is pursued by semi structured interviews with senior practicing professionals based in the north-west of England, triangulated with documentary reviews and a fixed online survey, as methods of data collection. The data has been analysed using qualitative content analysis and findings presented as a theoretical framework. The framework has been verified by completing a review of existing theory to corroborate the findings and place the thesis within the existing body of knowledge. The thesis identifies that undertaking heritage regeneration may generate financial and economic value to both public and private sector participants. However the current governance of regeneration is affecting engagement, namely a lack of funding and assistance from the public sector to bridge the conservation deficit. The implementation of effective post project evaluation and measurement would provide a basis to establish the existence of a potential urban regeneration heritage dividend