Urban regeneration and the Australian city

In the face of mounting pressures as diverse as population growth, economic restructuring, housing supply and affordability concerns, climate change, resource depletion and environmental crises, social polarisation, and shortfalls in transport and other infrastructure, urban regeneration has emerged as a central urban policy across Australian cities (Newton and Thompson 2017). It is likely that this emphasis will remain for decades to come. Yet, urban regeneration is far from a simple process. While the state might view regeneration as a process which delivers economic growth and performance, concerns around social equity emerge as it reconfigures the city, potentially creating winners and losers (Shaw and Porter 2009). The reliance on the private sector to deliver urban regeneration gives it a significant amount of power in determining the form and function of the city. As a result, social polarisation and inequality can be exacerbated as profitable locations across cities are regenerated, often forcing low-and moderate-income citizens out, while other parts remain largely ignored. Yet, urban regeneration also offers a set of opportunities and innovations, as new development addresses concerns around housing supply, infrastructure delivery and environmental sustainability. However, the capacity to realise these opportunities are often constrained by policy, governance, and funding arrangements, as well as wider market conditions. The purpose of the book is to examine the complex processes, tensions and challenges which surround the planning and delivery of urban regeneration. In doing so, the book provides analysis of the multiple scales and locations of regeneration which collectively contribute to the regeneration of Australian cities.