This paper examines how culture-led capital development projects are creating new opportunities for local cultural decision making in the UK. Through an analysis of two live case studies – Docking Station (Medway, Kent) and Harmony Works (Sheffield, South Yorkshire) – we examine how capital development projects function as important nodes within creative, cultural and heritage ecosystems, as well as their potential to enhance the voice of local people within them. We make several tentative recommendations for future policy support mechanisms that could ensure the flourishing of future such projects.