Sustainability of Contemporary Urban Regeneration Projects

Abstract

This paper discusses the sustainability outcome levels of the contemporary urban regeneration projects across different cities. For this, the systematic review approach is employed and have analyzed twenty-two urban regeneration projects implemented after year 2000 in cities of both developed and developing countries. The analysis encapsulates the focuses of contemporary urban regeneration projects, sustainability attributes on economic, environmental and social dimensions, tensions between those dimensions and success factors proven for sustainable urban regeneration in the 21st century. The paper informs that the contemporary urban regeneration projects yet generate economic and environmental focused outcomes being indifferent to project outcomes observed during 70s -80s – social equitable outcomes are accrued in a limited manner. It concludes by suggesting contemporary urban regeneration project implementation to incorporate policy elements such as meaningful community engagement, public-private partnership investments and imposing mandatory requirements on social equity in order to attain sustainable outcomes expected in the 21st century.