Documenting the ‘soft spaces’ of London planning: Opportunity Areas as institutional fix in a growth-oriented city
研究了伦敦机会区域如何从促进棕地再生的工具转变为通过协调关系、提升土地价值来维持增长，揭示了战略规划性质的转变。
The concentration of economic growth into large metropolises is widely documented across Europe. Yet, planning of this growth at the strategic metropolitan scale shows significant variation. This paper documents the evolution of Opportunity Areas within Greater London. Through statistical and documentary analysis, and participant observation, we reveal how they have been repurposed from a tool employed to facilitate brownfield regeneration to one that sustains growth through brokering relationships, enhancing land value and capturing it. The paper argues that the cumulative impact of these ‘soft spaces’ of planning represents a fundamental change in the nature of strategic planning for city-regions.