Learning from Blackpool Promenade: Re-enchanting sterile streets

Edensor, Tim and Millington, SD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5143-3074 (2018) Learning from Blackpool Promenade: Re-enchanting sterile streets. The Sociological Review, 66 (5). pp. 1017-1035. ISSN 0038-0261

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Abstract

In this article, the authors contend that contemporary urban streets are over-regulated, preoccupied with surveillance, commercial requirements and rapid transit, aesthetically homogeneous and sensually sterile. As an exemplary site of contrast, the article focuses on the recently redesigned Blackpool Promenade. First, it argues that this redesign honours the resort’s popular traditions, its potent heritage and the importance of innovation. Second, it explores how the promenade fosters playful interactions, conviviality and lingering. Third, the article focuses on sensory attributes that enhance the experience of promenaders.