Heritage-led regeneration in the UK: Preserving historic values or masking commodification? A reflection on the case of King’s Cross, London

Since the early 1990’s heritage-led regeneration has progressively become an important strategy for the revitalisation of urban areas. This<br/>revitalisation though, albeit its positive financial outcome, is not without side-effects, especially when carried out by commercial developers in<br/>the established socio-economic system. This paper explores how heritage-led regeneration fits in the 21st century plans for the physical, social and<br/>economic restructuring of post-industrial historic megacities, like London. Drawing from the King’s Cross case, a contemporary project with high<br/>heritage significance described as the biggest European inner city redevelopment, the paper will highlight the gains and losses of the process, in<br/>terms of heritage preservation and resilience of historic, spatial and social values. The analysis of the background, decision-making process and<br/>product of the King’s Cross scheme will inform the study’s conclusion. Finally, it will be argued that historic considerations play a subordinate<br/>role in the formation of heritage-led regeneration strategy. Its impact is intertwined with the priorities of the established political and economic<br/>system, which control predicaments between financial growth and social sustainability. This study complements previous findings and contributes<br/>additional evidence on the evolving discourse on the nuanced effects of urban regeneration while informing future practice on similar cases