Regenerating Communities: Women's Experiences of Urban Regeneration

In the UK, New Labour has placed great emphasis on community-based urban regeneration as part of its strategy to combat social exclusion. However, there is little understanding of the ways in which regeneration policies impact on the lives and communities of `socially excluded' women. This paper draws on qualitative research into women's experiences of urban regeneration. It argues that, although local communities continue to play an important role for many of the women in the research, regeneration policies can increase exclusion and lead to the destruction of many of these communities—and in particular that this can have a dramatic impact on women, as they are more likely to rely on local community support networks than men.