Aberdeen wanted a major new transformational masterplan for the city centre at a very challenging time for the city’s main economic sector. Aberdeen City Council was keen to ensure its City Deal with government unlocked sustained regeneration and had strong partner buy-in.
Regeneris led on two elements of the work. The first was a robust appraisal of the city centre’s economy and its main property and development markets to inform Aberdeen’s economic growth prospects and targets over 20 years. This became an economic strategy and vision for the city centre, which ultimately informed a masterplan and project proposals.
We then undertook a robust appraisal of 49 proposed masterplan interventions to help build a case for action and investment. This drew heavily on our experience of Green Book appraisals on other regeneration projects, but also required new methods to estimate future economic change. We worked closely with economists from Scottish Enterprise to develop a rigorous appraisal model that provides a realistic assessment of the masterplan’s potential impact.
The plan galvanised partners to re-engage with the city-centre and start to talk more positively about its role. The masterplan was unanimously approved by the council and received public support from the city’s higher education and business communities. The appraisal of the masterplan projects meant that partners could confidently negotiate Aberdeen’s City Deal which was agreed in 2016.
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