Retail-led regeneration: Assessing the property outcomes

Abstract

This paper examines the notion that retail development can act as 'catalyst' at an early stage of urban regeneration projects, leading to further non-retail development in due course. The processes by which large retail stores were built at an early stage in three such projects in the Cardiff Bay area are explained. These case studies show support for the financial case for retail-led regeneration, but also that retail development has been encouraged for mainly pragmatic reasons and shows little synergy with other, non-retail development. These schemes, all located out of centre, were developed contrary to retail planning guidelines. In the present policy climate, such schemes may be difficult to justify.