An examination of the extent to which the regeneration of dockland areas, as Entertainment Venues, can positively impact the surounding area, and host city, using Cardiff Bay as a case study.

Abstract

An investigation was made into the various impacts that the development of entertainment venues, as part of a dockland regeneration scheme, can have on the surrounding area and the host city. The researcher explored various sources of secondary data relating to regeneration schemes, conducted semi-structured interviews within entertainment venues situated at the Bay, and carried out questionnaires over a two day period, also in Cardiff Bay. As a result of this, the researcher gained an insightful perspective into the various fundamentals of entertainment destinations that create such impacts on the location. Through rich qualitative data, and quantifiable feedback various trends, and reoccurring patterns began to emerge in regards to how these areas where marketed, the extent to which the development can ultimately transform an area, and the way in which various regeneration schemes have adopted strategies to successfully establish a place where primarily locals and visitors want to be entertained. Vital trends that where highlighted to the researcher included firstly the fact that the regeneration projects where looked upon as an opportunity to inject life in areas that faced abandonment, isolation and dereliction. A main objective when most cities considered such an investment was to ultimately create an entertainment destination that utilised the potential beauty of the waterfront, and through the use of distinct characteristics such as minimal retail and commercial shops, the various developments have managed to maintain an entertainment focus and appeal. The attraction and popularity of these areas is primarily due to the fact that these dockland areas now offer an escape from the city's town centre or surrounding catchment areas. Through the use of events during summer periods and incorporating bars and restaurants around these entertainment venues, a truly continental atmosphere is established, where statistics have shown people are willing to travel for and experience. The researcher has discovered that regeneration schemes can open up endless opportunities for the cities, with the most obvious and apparent being the ability to host and stage large scale events, which are untimely bringing vast quantities of people into that particular area. During the process of exploring the impacts such areas can have, the researcher furthermore became aware of the fundamentals that worked together in order to firmly establish abandon docks into these entertainment destinations, that can ultimately be used to actively market the city. The key stages that the researcher feel any city should adopt when considering to regenerate unused dockland areas into a successful entertainment destination, where produced within a model in the recommendations chapter. The model, entitled 'The 6 stage process to transform docks into entertainment destinations' can be adopted by other cities considering such an investment, and that need this injection of life the development seemingly brings.