Cardiff Bay Arena: Inclusive Growth implementation advice

Cardiff City Council & Centre for Progressive Policy, via the Inclusive Growth Network

Metro Dynamics, with support from Centre for Progressive Policy, was commissioned via the Inclusive Growth Network to provide advice on how inclusive growth principles could be embedded in the development of a new arena at Cardiff Bay. Cardiff City Council intends to ensure that the Arena development supports and embeds their ambitious inclusive growth plans, bringing maximum economic benefit to the local communities with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the city.

Our work involved desk-based review of Wales and Cardiff-level policy, identifying case studies of best practice in developments of this type elsewhere in the UK, selected analysis of deprivation and employment challenges in the local area, and mapping of and engagement with local stakeholders and organisations.

Our final report set out a number of staged recommendations for inclusive growth interventions in four themes (residents, employment, the creative ecosystem, and use of physical space). The recommendations will be taken forward by the council and partners to maximise the social and economic benefit of forthcoming development and the subsequent regeneration of the wider Atlantic Wharf area.