Redundant spaces and sustainable development in post-industrial weak market cities: the cases of Kingston upon Hull and Sunderland

Abstract

Industrialised cities have under used and unused land and property that can impact on the vitality and wellbeing of the city and its residents. The longer these assets remain unused, the more likely they are to become redundant. The larger the scale of the problem, the greater the negative impact it will have on adjacent neighbourhoods and the wider city. The prevailing development paradigms, with their focus on market based pro-growth strategies emphasising narrow forms of economic value, define ‘redundancy’ in ways which are problematic for weak market cities. The objectives of the empirical analysis are to: outline the nature and extent of redundant spaces in Hull and Sunderland; understand what the drivers and constraints are to the reuse of redundant spaces in the case study cities; and provide an illustration of how the reuse of redundant spaces contributes to spatial equity through the provision of employment and housing opportunities, additional green space and improved accessibility. This thesis examines whether the reuse of redundant spaces in post-industrial weak market cities, can contribute to improving spatial equity. It identifies different types of redundant spaces and examines how specific interventions impact on addressing spatial inequalities. It highlights that the reuse of redundant space can improve spatial equity; however, there are constraints that need to be overcome. As such, this thesis makes four main contributions: first, it provides a more comprehensive definition of redundant space by adding a temporal dimension; second, it provides a rich illustration of the variety of redundant spaces in two post-industrial cities. Thirdly, it demonstrates that redundant spaces are more geographically concentrated than other vacant sites, depending on their land use designation. Finally, it demonstrates the constraints to the reuse of such spaces, with an emphasis on land ownership and the planning system.