The test of any city is the nature of its institutions, some of which have a particular presence in the built environment. They can have an important impact on the street-life and conviviality of the city. The improvements to Belfast’s courthouse, for example, have given it a more civil relationship to the spaces around it.

The recent renovation of St. George's Market adjacent has provided a new lease of life for another key public building. In use twice weekly, the market hall offers a valuable outlet for small-scale producers and specialist retailers, demonstrating the vitality they bring to the city. Meanwhile, more established traders in the comparable North Street Arcade saw their businesses destroyed by arson, in an area under some regeneration pressure.

Maysfield Leisure Centre was until recently a well-used cross-community resource. An anchor for the social, entertainment, and sporting life of the city, the buildings themselves have however not aged well, and the poor relationship of the existing buildings to the city and river leaves enormous potential for refurbishment or even rebuilding. However, rather than seizing the opportunity to renew Maysfield, in 2004 the elected City Council, under severe budgetary pressure, decided to close it. The relatively neutral and accessible location, adjacent to the central train station and bus services, makes it highly desirable as a development site, but lacking a political champion. While the future of the site remains uncertain, the social capital built up in this institution has simply been ‘cashed in’. Where in Belfast are the new institutions to continue this work? Can Belfast City Council be relied on to develop and defend them? Or might there be other starting points?