ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the origin of the first Regent Park, the ideas behind its beginning in 1947, and the various stages through which the northern and then the southern parts of the community were turned into public housing. It focuses on the housing policy context in a number of prosperous industrial states in Western Europe and the UK, comparing these to policies adopted in Canada and the United States and then to the specific approaches that, more recently, defined Regent Park's redevelopment. The book also examines the subsequent evolution of Regent Park, including various lines of criticism put forward over the decades from 1960 to 2000. It reviews the ways in which Regent Park may or may not be a useful model for other jurisdictions, and speculates on issues that the community and the housing authority may face in the years ahead.
