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Urban renewal and citizenship: the quality of life in British cities, 1890-1990

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2009

Helen Meller
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Abstract

This paper juxtaposes two key themes: the concept of citizenship and ideas on urban renewal over the past century. The aim is to explore the interaction of cultural changes and the physical environment of cities. The concept of citizenship represents a cultural response to social change which itself has changed dramatically over the past century. Urban renewal has taken many forms. Yet behind all the growing technical expertise in dealing with the physical environment, there are specific social responses to the city which legitimize action. By looking at citizenship and urban renewal together, it is possible to establish a perspective on how the urban environment has been manipulated over the past century, often in ways which have barely interfaced with the social demands of many sections of the community.

Type
Research Article
Information
Urban History , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , May 1995 , pp. 63 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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