Historical warehouse converted into luxury apartments in London

In light of recent economic and societal shifts, developers are transforming underutilised commercial spaces into community developments. This strategy aims to meet growing housing demands while rejuvenating neglected areas and reducing the ecological impact of demolition and rebuilding.

Read on to discover four types of urban development currently being transformed into residential and community spaces.

Shopping Centres

With the rise of online shopping, many shopping centres have experienced declining foot traffic and rising shop vacancies. Consequently, these spaces are being repurposed into residential units, mixed-use developments, or community spaces.

For instance, Dublin’s Clerys department store is being transformed into a blend of retail, office, and leisure spaces, revitalising a declining high street and turning it into a community hub.

Banks

As banking habits change to favour online and mobile banking, nearly 50% of bank units in the UK have closed, leaving historic buildings vacant. As a result, many former bank branches are being repurposed for community-centric uses, such as community centres, cafés or boutiques. This repurposing fosters vibrant high streets, creating jobs and boosting local economies.

Golf Courses

With declining memberships, many golf courses are being viewed as potential residential sites, providing unique opportunities to combine housing and green spaces. For example, London’s “Holes to Homes” initiative aims to convert parts of a golf course into villa-style housing while enhancing biodiversity through rewilding efforts.

Office Blocks

The rise of remote work has left many office buildings underutilised, prompting their conversion into residential units. Since 2015, over 14 million square feet of office space in England has been transformed into housing. The Clay conversion project in Salford exemplifies this trend by integrating former office spaces into new residential developments.

Conclusion

The repurposing of shopping centres, banks, golf courses, and office blocks presents a promising strategy to tackle urban housing challenges. Although these transformations face logistical, regulatory, and community engagement hurdles, their potential to revitalise urban environments and provide much-needed housing makes them vital in the quest for sustainable urban living.

To learn more about urban regeneration, including the opportunities and challenges of retrofitting and how developers can design flexibly for the future, read our full report.

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