ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the changing contexts for urban regeneration since the end of the Second World War, with a particular focus on North West Europe. It highlights the different phases of urban regeneration since 1945 and the shifting contextual paradigms – both nationally and internationally. These include post-war reconstruction; urban renewal and ‘modernisation’ in the 1950s and 1960s; the boom in ‘property-led’ regeneration that followed the economic crises of the 1970s and 1980s; more ‘holistic’ approaches of the 1990s; urban renaissance; and the increasing integration of policies for urban regeneration and environmentally sustainable development in recent years. The chapter then discusses the shifting urban, governance and policy contexts, before concluding with some current issues.
