Who is responsible for incorporating the notion of 'public interest' into sustainable urban developments? A case study of three sites in the south-west of England

Williams, David; Atkinson, Rob; Tallon, Andrew

Abstract

Public-private partnership agreements between local authorities and government agencies and developers have become the modus operandi in the UK since the 1990s for the regeneration of brownfield sites in UK towns and cities. This paper explores these relationships to identify who is responsible for insuring that the development is in the ‘public interest’, in terms of transport access and the provision of new public realm and transport links. The paper studies three case studies in the south west of England: Harbourside Bristol, Gloucester Quays and Firepool Taunton to examine, who ensures the public interest is met and how. The research involves interviews with the key people involved in the regeneration process for each of the three case studies. Early conclusions show that the local authorities and government agencies such as the now defunct Regional Development Agencies and English Partnerships were responsible for providing funding for transport developments to enable the regeneration schemes to be to be initiated.

Citation

Williams, D., Atkinson, R., & Tallon, A. (2017, January). Who is responsible for incorporating the notion of 'public interest' into sustainable urban developments? A case study of three sites in the south-west of England. Paper presented at 49th Annual UTSG Conference

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: 49th Annual UTSG Conference
• Start Date: Jan 4, 2017
• End Date: Jan 6, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Jan 4, 2017
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: public interest, sustainable urban development, brownfield redevelopment, urban renaissance
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : 49th Annual UTSG Conference