ABSTRACT
In 1999 for the first time in its history the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture to a city, Barcelona. Almost in parallel, Manchester’s urban renewal has been given increased attention around the world as Manchester has ‘progressed to become Britain’s most successful regional city, drawing international investors, creating thousands of new jobs and pioneering city-centre living’ (Hetherington 2006). After years of oblivion, Manchester’s and Barcelona’s post-industrial cityscapes are celebrated as shining examples of successful urban regeneration and stylish public space design (Garcia-Ramon and Albet 2000; Quilley 2000; Marshall 2000). Similarities can also be found in the cities’ history. Both were the cradle of the industrial revolution in their respective countries, Manchester being famously known as ‘Cottonopolis’ and Barcelona as the ‘Manchester of the South’. The two metropolises developed a strong working-class identity reflected in their history of socialist local councils. Comparable patterns of deindustrialization affected their city centres in the 1970s and both cities resorted to similar culture-led regeneration schemes during the early 1990s to reinvent their physical landscape.
