Towards the evaluation of naval waterfront revitalisation: comparative experiences in Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth, UK

Waterfront revitalisation in naval ports involves economic restructuring, socio-political reorientation and the re-use of highly specialised facilities made redundant by far-reaching changes in national and international defence strategies. Not least because of the opportunities and challenges presented by naval heritage resources, these changes are comparable to, but significantly different from, those associated with commercial ports. This paper explores methodological approaches to the problem of evaluating strategies based on the waterfront in three major British naval ports. Critical analysis of outcomes and issues is employed to propose an evaluative framework for heritage-based revitalisation in naval cityports in a wider context.