Community and inter-agency structures in the regeneration of inner-city Belfast

Urban regeneration policy in the 1980s, reflecting the market philosophy of the decade, was development and property led. More recently shifts in policy have placed increasing emphasis upon partnership arrangements, inter-agency structures and community involvement in a bid to address problems of market failure. Within Belfast the question of regenerating an industrialised nineteenthcentury city is overlain by additional issues relating to politico-religious divisions in the city. In an attempt to address the criticism that regeneration has been citycentre orientated, policy has increasingly addressed the disadvantaged wards particularly in the west and north of the city. This paper evaluates these approaches and specifically considers the Springvale Initiative, a regeneration project that spans an interface area.