ABSTRACT
Urban regeneration through leisure and cultural regeneration has emerged as a crucial feature of the post-modern city of consumption. One of the most dramatic elements of contemporary urban regeneration is the visual transformation of the cityscape associated with the rise of post-modern architecture and high-quality design. This has assisted the development of a range of architecturally innovative showpiece cultural projects that contributes to the cultural economy. ‘Cities of spectacle’ and ‘fantasy cities’ are labels that have been attached to places experiencing regeneration that is linked with leisure, culture and consumption. Examples of this style of urban regeneration are evident in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, NewcastleGateshead and Liverpool. This trend is international in scope, as witnessed in cities across North America, Europe and Australasia, including Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Barcelona, Bilbao, Dublin and Brisbane. These cities have transformed their fortunes, strongly influenced by cultural regeneration.
