Urban policies, place identity and creative regeneration. The Arabianranta case study

Nowadays, the transformation of cities must be accompanied by changes in the urban design and planning tools, modifying those already existing and creating new ones. These tools must be suited to interpreting new processes and should not be merely guided by market forces. As regards, the history and identity of the site has to be taken into consideration and ensure that the urban regeneration is supported by the activation of sustainable creative processes. Starting from such premises, the aim of this paper is to investigate the concept of the creative city and illustrate the Arabianranta case study in Helsinki, a case of creative urban regeneration in which the involvement of population, place identity and sustainability of interventions play an important role. Waterfront redevelopment and enhancement is increasingly becoming a starting point for implementing complex urban redevelopment strategies which involve not only the waterfront but also the whole urban area. The more value is given to the local cultural peculiarities – such as cultural heritage and place identity – the more the operation of regeneration may be embedded within the local fabric and be attractive for residents and visitors