Reconceptualising the historic urban environment: conservation and regeneration in Castlefield, Manchester, 1960–2009

Abstract

The reinvention of deindustrial cities requires a long‐term commitment to reconfiguring physical space, altering perceptions and transforming the functions of space. The contraction of the manufacturing sector asked a series of questions of the existing industrial environment which once stood as a testament to Britain’s position as the first industrial nation but was increasingly falling into a state of disrepair. How these redundant spaces and buildings were continually subjected to re‐evaluation and a reconceptualisation of the type of role they could play in contributing to the urban renaissance remains the central theme of the paper. Contained within this is an examination of the complex matrix of agencies from the voluntary, public and private sectors working on a local, regional, national and European scale. Their perception of the potential of the historic landscape was conditioned by their remit, position within the institutional framework, the emerging urban agenda and political changes as well as an emerging cultural switch to embrace urban heritage. This paper will elucidate how the historic urban environment was reconceptualised in Castlefield, Manchester and how the various desires of the voluntary, public and private sector were realised through the conscious manipulation and reconceptualisation of historic space since 1960.