The impact of European programmes on heritage-led urban regeneration initiatives in the historic centre of Malaga

Heritage-led regeneration focuses on urban regeneration initiatives where heritage becomes the catalyst to increase economic activity, attract more residents and create a more vibrant neighbourhood. European funding has been widely used to promote urban regeneration in many cities across the continent. In many cases, the initiatives carried out included the integration of built heritage, both architectural and archaeological. The objective of this research is to assess the impact of European funded programmes in heritage-led urban regeneration initiatives in the historic centre of Malaga, Andalusia, Spain. Thanks to these projects, the public space became more attractive for residents and tourists through the incorporation of previously unexcavated or neglected heritage assets. During the process, gentrification and touristification of the historic centre also occurred. The methodology includes spatial analysis of protected heritage, regeneration projects and heritage loss, together with an analysis of policy documents, direct observation, and collection of statistics on tourist arrivals and the number of residents. The results show both positive impacts on urban landscape improvement and negative impacts on population and heritage loss. The methodology in this study case could be applied in other cities dealing with a process of increasing tourist activity in urban heritage contexts.