Case study: The interaction between commercial objectives and conservation in a city-centre mixed-use development

Abstract

A number of discernible trends have been emerging in the retail and leisure field arising from several different sources. Central government policy has sought through sequential testing to drive activities back into town centres, conservation interests have increased awareness of the significant effects of historic buildings on the quality of the urban environment and an increasing interest in sustainability beyond the narrow confines of energy conservation has led to a better evaluation of what really determines sustainable development in both towns and individual buildings. In addition to these public interest pressures, the commercial and investment world has seen retail and leisure development as one of the key sustainable investment opportunities. The experience economy requires an environment equally responsive to the demands and needs of its users. The Light is a mixed-use development in the centre of the city of Leeds. Combining several different aspects and including both historic listed buildings and new construction, it has received seven awards from specialist bodies in the first ten months since its opening, including the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC), the Leisure Property Forum and the local People's Award for 2002. This paper examines the influence of the various policies and commercial objectives involved, combined with the serendipity of site assembly, in creating a development which responds wholeheartedly to current government policy and provides a benchmark for future projects. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR Copyright of Journal of Retail & Leisure Property is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts); A number of discernible trends have been emerging in the retail and leisure field arising from several different sources. Central government policy has sought through sequential testing to drive activities back into town centres, conservation interests have increased awareness of the significant effects of historic buildings on the quality of the urban environment and an increasing interest in sustainability beyond the narrow confines of energy conservation has led to a better evaluation of what really determines sustainable development in both towns and individual buildings. In addition to these public interest pressures, the commercial and investment world has seen retail and leisure development as one of the key sustainable investment opportunities. The experience economy requires an environment equally responsive to the demands and needs of its users. The Light is a mixed-use development in the centre of the city of Leeds. Combining several different aspects and including both historic listed buildings and new construction, it has received seven awards from specialist bodies in the first ten months since its opening, including the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC), the Leisure Property Forum and the local People's Award for 2002. This paper examines the influence of the various policies and commercial objectives involved, combined with the serendipity of site assembly, in creating a development which responds wholeheartedly to current government policy and provides a benchmark for future projects. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR Copyright of Journal of Retail & Leisure Property is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)