Urban Regeneration: ...

From the Arts “Feel Good” Factor to the Cultural Economy: A Case Study of Hoxton, London

an article by A C Pratt (London School of Economics) published in Urban Studies Volume 46 Number 5-6 (2009)

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine critically the role of culture in the continued development, or regeneration, of “post-industrial” cities. First, it is critical of instrumental conceptions of culture with regard to urban regeneration. Secondly, it is critical of the adequacy of the conceptual framework of the “post-industrial city” (and the “service sector”) as a basis for the understanding and explanation of the rise of cultural industries in cities. The paper is based upon a case study of the transformation of a classic, and in policy debates a seminal, “cultural quarter”: Hoxton Square, North London. Hoxton, and many areas like it, are commonly presented as derelict parts of cities which many claim have, through a magical injection of culture, been transformed into dynamic destinations. The paper suggests a more complex and multifaceted causality based upon a robust concept of the cultural industries as industry rather than as consumption.

Hazel’s comment:
If you want to know more about Hoxton then there is a good (in my opinion) article on Wikipedia (where else?) here. Recommended as time-waster for those interested in history!

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