Re-urbanizing London Docklands: Gentrification, suburbanization or new urbanism?

Abstract

This article is based on a study of Docklands in London, which was undertaken as part of a larger study of gentrification in inner London. Using interview and survey data, the article compares Docklands with the gentrification that has taken place elsewhere in inner London. Whilst there were important differences between these inner-London study areas, all differ qualitatively from the process in Docklands. The article questions whether the distinction that is normally drawn between 'gentrification by capital' and 'gentrification by collective social action' is appropriate and argues that this disguises the nature of the urban regeneration being undertaken in Docklands. It is suggested that this is more a process of re-urbanization in which some of the characteristics normally associated with suburban development are being brought to an area near the centre of the city, but in a context more normally reserved for gentrification. The data from the survey show that for many of the respondents in Docklands, the kind of life they are seeking is often associated with some conceptions of suburban life. It is suggested that both gentrification and suburbanization as concepts need to be used with care in understanding contemporary processes of re-urbanization such as are occurring in Docklands and the central areas of other British cities. © 2007 The Author. Journal Compilation © 2007 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.