Urban rehabilitation vs. urban regeneration. New perspectives and a critical perspective from the case of Castilla y León

Abstract

The recent Urban Regeneration Act 7/2014 appears in Castilla y León as a regional development of the national Rehabilitation Act 8/2013. Those texts come after 15 years implementing Integrated Rehabilitation Areas in this region where they have shown their lack of sustainability when only applied to building restoration. At this point, our research group was granted the opportunity of designing an “Urban Regeneration Strategy” for our region. Being part of this work, the paper presents a new concept about future recovering interventions on urban fabric in vulnerable areas. Our approach has come after three R+D+i projects focused on studying the results of urban politics over traditional areas of the city, and two professional works: Possibilities of urban regeneration in Europe (2010) -which resulted in the Declaration of Toledo- and Integrated Rehabilitation Plan for Castilla y León (2011). The paper suggests alternatives to integrate social issues and rehabilitation policies, in the line promoted by the Leipzig Chart (EU-2007) and the Toledo Declaration (EU-2010). Otherwise, it may turn into an exclusive method of redirecting economically the construction sector in times of crises.