How do we regenerate Belfast's dying city centre?
From derelict buildings to a visible drug problem, the city centre has suffered since the Covid pandemic.
In recent weeks, the state of the city centre has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. A widely circulated video which appears to show a man snorting white powder on Donegall Place prompted a lot of discussion on open drug use in the area.
Since Covid, parts of Royal Avenue and surrounding streets have seen an increasing number of buildings falling into disuse as shops close or move elsewhere.
But there is hope.
Our columnist Rosalind Skillen looks at one project which has transformed a previously derelict site close to the Cathedral Quarter.
For years, a brownfield site opposite the Sunflower pub had been left derelict. Littered with debris and framed by facades of dilapidated buildings, the site had become a symbol of urban neglect and poor planning.
But Brink!, a social enterprise based in the city, has transformed the plot to grow food.
They’ve brought potential back into a once abandoned and disused space in a bid to demonstrate what can be achieved when we look at our city centre differently.
How do you feel about Belfast city centre? What can be done to regenerate the area? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
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