Transcript Regions for Economic Change

Regions for Economic Change:
Improved regions for businesses and citizens
ATTRACTIVE CITIES FOR GROWTH AND JOBS
Lesley Chalmers
Chief Executive, English Cities Fund
8 March 2007
Attractive cities for jobs and growth
Barcelona conference June 2006 –
“The region without the city is like the car without the engine”
The most successful European cities manage their affairs
somewhere between the city and regional level –
eg skills, connectivity, environment and sustainability…
Key issues:
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place-making
quality and distinctiveness
strategic integration – social, economic, physical
long-term thinking
innovation
collaboration
leadership and confidence
UK: Regional Economic Disparity
• north v. south
• investment gap in provincial cities = overheating in the south
east, market failure in the north
• State of the Cities report 2006: urban policy
• regional policy increasingly important: RGOs, RDAs, DCLG,
Treasury, budget process
• Core Cities working together
• the ‘Northern Way’ initiative, 2004
• collaboration in a global economy:
- transportation
- employment
- communication
- trading
- culture
Cities are Crucial
• cities are drivers of economic growth
• cities can improve their performance
• successful economic performance is
directly linked to the attractiveness of
places – ie. their being places people
want to be in
• importance of locational dimension to
business planning
Making Places
The basic characteristics of sustainable and successful
places with strong, vibrant mixed communities are:
• a mix of well-integrated uses
• a range of tenures, both residential and
commercial, to encourage social and
economic cohesion and opportunity
• residential density sufficient to encourage
sustainable mixed development and bring
basic amenities within walking distance
• well connected streets and spaces that
do not favour vehicular use
• high quality of urban design and architecture
• input from local stakeholders in the planning,
design and management of the area
Getting Density Right
Of the 20 largest cities in the world London ranks 19th (4,028 p/sq km)
- only Los Angeles is less dense, with 3,525 p/sq km
- Paris is twice as dense, with 7,797 p/sq km
Barcelona - 400 dwellings/ hectare
Bloomsbury - up to 200 dwellings/ hectare
critical mass + walkability
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successful local services/facilities
economic viability
character, sense of place
quality of life
London Paris Barcelona New York...Hulme?
Hulme, Manchester – late 1960s
Hulme, Manchester - today
English Cities Fund – investment criteria
• Assisted Areas: town and city
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centres and/or fringes, with
latent potential
strategic as well as
implementation role
area-based; mixed use; high
quality
place-making; step change
part of a broader strategy
involvement from the beginning
long-term involvement
Attractive cities for growth and jobs…
what next?
• continue to take their growth seriously:
the potential benefits are enormous
• endeavour to understand better what works and what doesn’t – UK
Core Cities Working Group > Europe > beyond
• confront outdated and pessimistic views on potential of
communications technologies
• collaborate rather than compete
• use our assets wisely - manage the process to ensure maximum
economic development benefits – clustering, leadership, local
labour markets
• make better places – sustainable communities, not just housing
estates and business parks
Attractive cities for growth and jobs?
think…
• places, not just buildings
• quality, not just style
• value, not just cost
Contact:
[email protected]
www.englishcitiesfund.co.uk