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Reflections on Titanic Quarter: the cultural and material legacy of an historic Belfast brand

Reflections on Titanic Quarter is one outcome from a body of work assessing the internationally prolific practice of neoliberal regeneration theory and its relationship to architectural practice and redevelopment policy. This is a five-year qualitative research exercise utilising the globally recognised case study of the Titanic Quarter redevelopment zone in Belfast, Northern Ireland as the strategy of inquiry. All research has been subject to Research Ethics and Governance approval. The research hypothesises that Titanic Quarter represents a particularly pragmatic application of neoliberal regeneration theory with international ramifications. The research addresses three related questions: What is the cultural narrative that has established this regeneration practice? What are the specific implications for regeneration policy? What are the specific material ramifications of such regeneration practice? The methodology involves three distinct phases. A pilot study first clarified data sources specific to the research questions through observations of actors and fieldwork documentation of material artefacts. An outline of these findings was published as Coyles, David. (2010). Saving the Titanic, Architecture Ireland, 243, pp. 51-52. A second phase involved data collection, analysis and evaluation. Data was collected through a literature review, documentation of architectural artefacts and related spaces, and qualitative interviews with actors. Analysis and evaluation involved a genealogical analysis of the social, political, economic and cultural context alongside the urban morphological analysis of architecture and spaces. This phase culminated in Coyles, David. (2013) Reflections on Titanic Quarter: The cultural and material legacy of an historic Belfast brand, The Journal of Architecture, 18 (3), pp. 331 - 363. A third phase extended the reach of the research through public dissemination and through academic peer reviewed papers, including The Culture of Cities International Conference, (Centre for Social Innovation, New York, 13th – 15th August, 2013) and to the Annual UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference (University of West England, 11-13 September 2013).

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