Navigating Neo-liberal Urbanism in the UK. Could a Social Entrepreneur Be Considered an Activist Planner?

Based on the classification developed by Tore Sager about recognized modes of activist planning, this article offers a reflection on the figure of the social entrepreneur intended not only as a bridge actor but also as a proactive actor within the planning process in a political and economic scenario strongly affected by the consequences of neoliberism. The work proposes an empirical approach aiming to deepen an Anglo-Saxon experience of a social enterprise acting in one of the 39 deprived areas recognised by the New Deal for Communities and involved in its regeneration process. Evidence from the fieldwork permits reflection on the potential role of the social entrepreneur in a time of austerity urbanism in the UK.