Redevelopment

Process of demolition of the existing improvements and construction of new improvements on a site. The new improvements are often a different type from the old.

The demolition of old buildings and the creation of new buildings on the same site. Redevelopment can solve existing problems of congestion and poor design but, for residential areas in particular, it is seen to be wasteful of resources, destroying communities, and creating urban deserts until building takes place. Some redevelopment schemes have been built on too large a scale, and individuals are ‘lost’ in the concrete.

Post-war Britain has seen much city-centre redevelopment. The old city centres evolved without motor vehicles, and the population of the city was smaller. Many old city centres are therefore inadequate. Redevelopment is based on the provision of CBD functions and often segregates vehicular traffic from pedestrians.

The restoration and improvement of an existing structure or property.