Innovative Urban Regeneration Tools: the Case Study of Southbank

Many European regeneration projects in large urban distressed areas arise as the result of industrial dismissal sites, ensuing unemployment, poverty, environmental damage and social exclusion. In order to contribute to the development of innovative policies for integrated regeneration and renewal of depressed urban areas, the paper addresses the experience of the London’s South Bank project. Several integrated and complex projects have converted this area (formerly home to factories and working-class houses) into one of Europe’s most important cultural hubs. After a brief description of the process through which the area has been transformed, this paper focuses on the strategies and feasibility factors that have led to a successful regeneration project, known for being packed with opportunities and amenities that attract millions of visitors every year.