Digbeth sits just east of Birmingham’s city centre, immediately adjacent to Curzon Street and the forthcoming HS2 station. It lies along the historic Grand Union Canal and the Digbeth Branch Canal, connecting it to the broader Eastside development corridor

Why was regeneration needed?

Historically, Digbeth was a gritty industrial and manufacturing district, characterised by factories, workshops, and warehouses. However, in the latter part of the 20th century industry began to decline (deindustrialisation) and by the 1980s much of these industrial buildings were vacant or derelict.

Despite being hit hard by deindustrialisation, Digbeth maintained a vibrant informal economy, including street art (such as that pictured below), small creative enterprises, and the famed Custard Factory complex which became a grassroots cultural hub - showing that the area had potential for regeneration.

Features of the regeneration

Cultural-led and heritage-sensitive renewal

Local investors like Oval acquired heritage buildings such as the Custard Factory (pictured below), and refurbished them into studios and creative workspaces that preserved Digbeth’s industrial character whilst enabling art to generate money for the local economy.

Rather than demolition, which is a feature of many regeneration projects, the redevelopment framework for Digbeth focused on retaining the red-brick industrial architecture and preserving the historical canal-side streets, in order to keep Digbeth's character.

Mixed-use masterplan

At the end of 2020 a formal masterplan and redevelopment framework for the next 20 years was approved. The plan included 2,000-6,000 new homes and 300,000sqm of commercial space across 35 development sites.

Improvements to public space include Viaduct Park where old viaduct arches are being converted into walkways, adding new canal frontages, developing pedestrian and cycle corridors, and uncovering the River Rea.

One specific project is Upper Trinity Street which began in 2025 and due for completion in 2027 - this includes 211 apartments plus parks, maker courtyards and public event spaces.

Another is the £100 million Phoenix Yard mixed-use development on the site of a former iron works - this includes 240 homes, media/education/office space, retail, and landscaped public space. However, this is still in the planning stages.

Digbeth today

Digbeth has evolved into Birmingham’s Creative Quarter, and is home to independent studios, street art, music venues, start-ups, micro-breweries, and collective cultural spaces like the Custard Factory - the signpost below illustrates just how many different attractions there are at the Custard Factory complex.

It is also home to Digbeth Loc, which is a major film/TV studio complex led by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and is a major factor in bringing in new creative investment in the area. In addition Digbeth houses the BBC’s Media HQ in the old Typhoo Tea factory.

Transport links have also improved in the area with the Metro Eastside Extension (serving Millennium Point and extending toward Digbeth) and HS2's Curzon Street - this HS2 link in particular serves as a catalyst for regeneration and investment.

The area is now a vibrant mix of residential apartments, hospitality and retail, and leisure amenities - many in converted industrial buildings that make the most of Digbeth's industrial heritage.

Has regeneration been a success?

The regeneration of Digbeth is widely seen as a success as the new developments have blended into the industrial landscape, without the need to demolish old heritage buildings - enabling the area to keep its gritty artistic character, which has in turn, attracted more creative industries to the area. The regeneration has also balanced new housing alongside work opportunities and public space - whereas other regeneration projects in the city have been criticised for not prioritising homes.

The regeneration project has also had a positive multiplier effect and has attracted investment for further development, such as Phoenix Yard, Upper Trinity Street, and Digbeth Loc.

However, gentrification has been an issue - the regeneration had led to an increase in property prices and commercial rents which has meant that some of the independent makers and creatives that gave Digbeth its character, are now struggling to afford to stay there.

And whilst development so far has been sympathetic to Digbeth's industrial heritage, some critics are worried that further development might start to erode that, particularly as there are multiple large projects underway.