This NAO report looks at the regeneration of English regions (HCP 214, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780102963229). The NAO states that The Regional Development Agencies' physical regeneration programmes have helped to generate additional regional wealth. However, because of Agency weaknesses in identifying the projects which would maximise regional economic growth, the National Audit Office is unable to conclude the Agencies have secured as much benefit as they should have. Since 1999, the eight RDAs outside of London have spent £5 billion on physical regeneration programmes. For every pound of RDA spending on physical regeneration, an estimated £2.80 is secured from elsewhere, including £1.81 from the private sector. Independent evaluation suggests they have generated Gross Value Added of £3.30 for every £1 spent. Many of these projects will not realize their full benefits for many years and there is potential for a return over the lifetime of the projects of £8 for every £1 spent. However, the National Audit Office has reported that RDAs, because of weaknesses in project appraisal and evaluation might not have identified and backed the most effective projects for generating regional wealth. During the economic downturn, approximately 15 per cent of physical regeneration projects involving the private sector have stalled or slowed because developers are struggling to get finance or because of concerns over future yields.

Exploring the streets of London, Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh or Cardiff, one cannot help but notice the striking transformations taking place in the urban landscapes. This prominent regeneration of urban areas in the UK and around the world has become an increasingly important issue amongst governments and populations. The growing concern has been a result of the impacts of the decline of cities since the collapse of manufacturing industries and the heightening of global competition. A range of innovative approaches to tackle urban problems have been taken over many decades to attempt to regenerate the fortunes of towns and cities across the UK. This text provides an accessible, yet critical, synthesis of urban regeneration in the UK incorporating key policies, approaches, issues and debates. The central objective of the book is to place the historical and contemporary regeneration agenda into context. Section one sets up the conceptual and policy framework for urban regeneration in the UK. SectiontTwo traces policies that have been adopted by central government to influence the social, economic and physical development of cities, including early municipal interventions in the late nineteenth century, community-focused urban policies of the late 1960s, entrepreneurial property-led regeneration of the 1980s and competition for urban funds in the 1990s. The penultimate section illustrates the key thematic policies and strategies that have been pursued by cities themselves, focusing particularly on improving economic competitiveness and tackling social disadvantage. These approaches are contextualized by discussions covering, for example, urban competitiveness policies and the focus on sustainable urban regeneration. The final section summarizes key issues and debates facing urban regeneration, and speculates upon future directions. Urban Regeneration in the UK blends the approaches taken by central government programmes and cities themselves in the regeneration process. The latest ideas and examples from across disciplines and across the UK’s urban areas are illustrated. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis that will fill a significant gap in the current literature on regeneration and will be a tool for students as well as a seminal read for practitioners and researchers.

The urban landscape of the UK is undergoing its most dramatic transformation since post-war reconstruction. This volume is a systematic guide to that transformation that draws together a mass of information - from policy reports to academic studies - into a single coherent text. Examining key aspects of the process from first principles, Urban Regeneration in the UK: - introduces and contextualises the UK urban regeneration agenda - brings together state-of-the-art research around key themes in governance, sustainability, competition, and design - uses case studies of UK contemporary regeneration projects - combines academic and theoretical explorations whilst linking theory and practice - includes pedagogical features of key learning points, useful websites, a glossary and further reading Aimed at those studying and working in the field of urban regeneration and planning, Urban Regeneration in the UK provides a highly readable introduction to urban regeneration for undergraduates, post-graduates, and practitioners.

Drawing on the lessons from successful and unsuccessful attempts at the reform of metropolitan governance, this book identifies ways by which central and metropolitan governments can work better to optimise the potential of each urban region.

Based on cases and interviews in Britain, Europe and the United States, this book explains the recurrence of regional planning and of initiatives in regional governance, in a wide range of advanced industrial countries. Providing an analysis of the nature of regional planning and governance, the book traces the development of regional planning and the institutions associated with it. It also looks at the way that regions have been changing their form under pressure from economic and political developments and examines how regional planning and governance has responded, comparing experience in the UK, the rest of Europe and the US. In concluding that regionalism is an imperative feature of politics in most countries, associated with almost any of the variety of forms of governance, the author offers a major appraisal of the significance of regional planning in an intemational context

A critical look at regional development and governance, examining the causes of the South-East domination and comparing each region in terms of its characteristics and its experience of devolution.

Providing students and practitioners with a detailed overview of the key theoretical and applied issues, this book is a comprehensive and integrated primer on regeneration. The various chapters: review the history and context of urban regeneration; consider funding implications; look at environmental, social and community issues, as well as employment, education and training; focus on managing urban regeneration; consider land use issues; and discuss monitoring and evaluation. The book concludes with a comparative analysis, with examples from America and Europe, and a discussion of future trends. The book represents the first systematic overview of urban regeneration in one volume and is set to become the standard referenc