Urban Governance and Regeneration Lecture 5: Governing the city: urban governance and regeneration

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Urban Governance and RegenerationLecture
5Governing the city urban governance and
regeneration

• Dr Steve Musson

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Last week

• Theories of urban governance
• Elitism
• Pluralism
• Neo-Marxist
• From local government to governance
• Partnership models of regeneration
• The quango state
• Incorporating business interests
• Case study regenerating Manchester

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This week

• Urban policy under the Blair administration
• Urban issues in the late 1990s
• Urban Task Force
• Urban White Paper
• Emerging urban issues
• Case study 1 the Thames Gateway
• Case study 2 the Northern Way

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Emerging agendas

• Social exclusion and urban problems
• Law and order and urban unrest
• The Countryside Alliance and rural protest
• Cities as drivers / brakes on economic growth
  urban competitiveness
• Sustainable development
• Pressure of growth in south east
• Urban decline in peripheral areas

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The urban task force

• Established in 1997
• Chaired by Richard Rogers (architect, Lord Rogers
  of Riverside)
• Panel of 20 experts on urban development
• Co-authored report Towards an urban renaissance
  in 1999

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• The Urban Task Force will identify causes of
  urban decline in England and recommend practical
  solutions to bring people back into our cities,
  towns and urban neighbourhoods. It will establish
  a new vision for urban regeneration founded on
  the principles of design excellence, social
  well-being and environmental responsibility
  within a viable economic and legislative
  framework

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Main recommendations

• Architecture and open spaces in cities
• Strong anti-social behaviour measures

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Main recommendations

• Architecture and open spaces in cities
• Strong anti-social behaviour measures
• New powers for planning authorities
• Tax incentives to encourage development
• Public-private partnerships to facilitate
  investment
• The prioritisation of brownfield land sites

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Urban white paper

• Published in 1999
• First white paper on inner cities since 1979
• Our towns and cities the future, delivering an
  urban renaissance
• Broad vision for cities, although lacking in
  detailed funding information
• Reflecting cross-departmental nature of urban
  policy

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Urban white paper key measures

• Modernisation of planning system
• Bringing brownfield sites into use
• Reusing empty properties
• Bringing contaminated land back into use
• National land database
• Exemptions from stamp duty
• Funding for parks and open spaces

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Urban white paper implications

• Establishment of urban regeneration companies and
  a stronger role for regional development agencies
• Strategic local partnerships to encourage
  community participation
• Cabinet committee to oversee urban policy
• Initiatives New Deal for Communities,
  Neighbourhood Renewal Fund etc.

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Emerging urban issues

• Geographical imbalances
• Regional inequalities
• Sustainable development / communities
• Building a responsible society
• Zoneitis
• e.g. health and education action zones
• The governance of cities
• A crisis of local democracy?

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Case study the Thames Gateway

• Europes largest brownfield development
• 2003 Prescott announced 200,000 new homes for
  the south east
• Problems of key worker housing
• Overheating of the London property market
• Economy running close to capacity
• Central government allocation of 450m for
  2002-5. But local government estimates at least
  10b will be required

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Potential impacts of development

• Strategic relief of development pressure on
  London enabling growth to the east
• Creation of a more sustainable pattern of
  development
• But, strain on commuter infrastructure increased?
  
• Strain on environmental resources to the east of
  London
• Will government provide funds to meet objectives?

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Case study the Northern Way

• ODPM-led strategy for regeneration and
  sustainable communities in the north
• The north can become more competitive, prosperous
  and dynamic
• Exploit the economic and transport corridors that
  connect the north
• e.g. regeneration along M62 Liverpool to Hull
• Much more than just the economy
• A framework for growth to match the Thames
  Gateway in the south

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Core cities and the Northern Way

• Initial plans for Northern Way involved
  leadership by elected regional assemblies
• Following the defeat in North East England in
  November 2004, potentially enhanced role for
  cities and city-regions
• Policy and academic switch of interest from
  elected regions to city regions
• The Northern Way as a vehicle for core city
  political interests?

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Conclusion

• The restless search for policy
• Power, politics and resources
• Cities and peoples lives
• Cross-departmental nature of urban policy
• Major initiatives with clear spatial focus
• But will they achieve their aims?

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Suggestions for further reading

• DTLR (2000) Our towns and cities the future
  delivering an urban renaissance
• Rogers, R (2000) Cities for a small country,
  London, Faber
• Urban Task Force (1999) Towards an urban
  renaissance the report of the urban task force
  (executive summary), London, DETR
• Imrie, R (2004) Governing the cities and the
  urban renaissance, in Johnstone, C and Whitehead,
  M (eds.) New horizons in British urban policy
  perspectives on New Labour's urban renaissance,
  Aldershot, Ashgate