The redevelopment of London Docklands set a new standard for urban regeneration. City governments all over the world now aspire to the high-rise, high-gloss, high-cost 'office-residential-retail' formula (just add iconic casino/luxury hotel/state-of-the-art stadium) that passes for mixed use in the early 21st century. Waterfront cities are especially captured by this vision of the spectacular: the sparkling, once-in-a-lifetime break that will catapult that city onto the world stage. Most of these waterfronts are former docks, shipyards and city utilities, deindustrialised in the late 20th century, close to the old city centre, with very high potential value. They enter the current phase as public land or a mix