Chris Couch

Decline and sprawl: an evolving type of urban development – observed in Liverpool and Leipzig1

Much of the empirical research on urban sprawl has been carried out in North America and most theoretical studies on this problem have been concerned with expanding urban areas. This study differs, firstly in that it is concerned with sprawl in two European cities, Liverpool in England and Leipzig in Germany, and secondly because both these cities are in decline. This presents an opportunity to explore whether the process of urban sprawl is somehow specific in a situation of urban decline and what its outcomes might be for both urban form and urban policy.

Urban Regeneration in Europe

Contributors. Preface. Acknowledgements. Acronyms. 1. Introduction: the European Context and Theoretical Framework (Chris Couch and Charles Fraser). 2. Change in the European Industrial City (Charles Fraser). 3. Urban Regeneration in Liverpool (Chris Couch). 4. Dundee: a City Discovering Inclusion and Regeneration (Greg Lloyd and John McCarthy). 5. Urban Regeneration in Belfast (Stephen McKay). 6. Lille: from Textile Giant to Tertiary Turbine (Charles Fraser and Thierry Baert). 7. Rotterdam: Structural Change and the Port (Chris Couch). 8. Belgium: the Case of Wallonie (Charles Fraser and Luc Marechal). 9. Milan: the Bovisa District (Corinna Morandi). 10. The Ruhr: from Dereliction to Recovery (Susan Percy). 11. Economic and Physical Influences on Urban Regeneration in Europe (Chris Couch). 12. The Institutional and Financial Conditions of Urban Regeneration in Europe (Charles Fraser). 13. New Agendas (Susan Percy). 14. Review (Charles Fraser, Chris Couch and Susan Percy). Bibliography. Index.

Urban regeneration and sustainable development in Britain: The example of the Liverpool Ropewalks Partnership

Abstract Despite the emergence of urban regeneration and sustainable development as parallel strands of British urban policy, there has been little co-ordination between them and an imbalance in action with greater emphasis given to achieving urban regeneration, especially economic regeneration, than to sustainability. It can be argued that all urban regeneration contributes to sustainable development through the recycling of derelict land and buildings, reducing demand for peripheral development and facilitating the development of more compact cities. But below this strategic level British urban policy has yet to fully address the requirement for more sustainable development. This paper addresses this question through an examination of policy in Liverpool and a case study of Duke Street/Bold Street (the Rope Walks Partnership): a mixed use area adjoining the city centre. It is important to place local action within the context of national policies and so the paper begins with some discussion of the extent to which the principles of sustainable development are included within national urban regeneration policies before going on to examine policy at the metropolitan scale in Liverpool and then at the more detailed level of the Rope Walks area. The conclusions suggest that it is economic regeneration and more precisely property redevelopment, that is the main driving force regenerating the area and that there is some way to go before the city or the case study area achieve an environmentally sustainable regeneration process.

How does(n't) Urban Shrinkage get onto the Agenda? Experiences from Leipzig, Liverpool, Genoa and Bytom

This article discusses the question of how urban shrinkage gets onto the agenda of public-policy agencies. It is based on a comparison of the agenda-setting histories of four European cities, Liverpool (UK), Leipzig (Germany), Genoa (Italy) and Bytom (Poland), which have all experienced severe population losses but show very different histories with respect to how local governments reacted to them. We use the political-science concepts of ‘systemic vs. institutional agendas’ and ‘policy windows’ as a conceptual frame to compare these experiences. The article demonstrates that shrinkage is hardly ever responded to in a comprehensive manner but rather that policies are only implemented in a piecemeal way in selected fields. Moreover, it is argued that variations in institutional contexts and political dynamics lead to considerable differences with regard to the chances of making shrinkage a matter of public intervention. Against this background, the article takes issue with the idea that urban shrinkage only needs to be ‘accepted’ by policymakers who would need to overcome their growth-oriented cultural perceptions, as has been suggested in a number of recent writings, and calls for a more differentiated, context-sensitive view.

Reurbanization and Housing Markets in the Central and Inner Areas of Liverpool

Abstract British cities appear to be moving from a period of counter-urbanization to a period of reurbanization. One reason for this appears to be the growth of residential development in city centres. At the same time as there has been a boom in city centre housing, many cities appear to have experienced housing market failure in parts of the inner urban area. Through a study of Liverpool this article considers the evidence to support the notion that reurbanization is becoming an established trend, and why. What is the relationship between this emerging central area housing market and the surrounding inner urban areas? What are the implications for planning practice? The article concludes that there is evidence of reurbanization, partly driven by the economic revival of the city centre economy. But this emerging housing sector caters only for a niche population and makes a relatively inefficient contribution to housing supply. However, with the exception of student housing, it appears to be segmented from and not adversely impacting upon the inner-area housing market. If the goal is to broaden the appeal of city centre living to a wider social spectrum and to increase the efficiency of its contribution to housing supply, then its provision needs to be more carefully planned in terms of housing mix, local environmental conditions and amenities.

Housing Vacancy and the Shrinking City: Trends and Policies in the UK and the City of Liverpool

In the context of the discourse around shrinking cities, the aim of the paper was to try and better understand and differentiate the various types and causes of urban housing vacancy and to ask whether policy responses including planning policies appropriately reflect this variety. The paper briefly discusses the issue of shrinking cities, before considering theoretical explanations for housing vacancy and examining the relationships between population change, housing vacancy and policy responses in the Liverpool conurbation. Conclusions are then drawn about the nature of housing vacancy and the effectiveness of policy responses.

The governance of urban shrinkage in cities of post-socialist Europe: policies, strategies and actors

This paper presents results of an international comparative research project ‘Smart governance of shrinking cities in a European context’. In recent years, many European cities have experienced urban shrinkage (population decline). Whereas there has been a wealth of research into the governance of growing cities, little consideration has been given to the governance of and policy responses to shrinking cities, particularly in relation to the declining cities of post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of this paper is to compare the governance responses to shrinkage in different national contexts and assess the policy responses applied. This is done through the comparison of case studies examining the governance of shrinkage in Leipzig (Germany), Bytom (Poland), Ostrava (Czechia) and Timisoara (Romania). Two different strategies have been identified. First, Leipzig – due to its inclusion in the (former Western) German welfare state – followed a reasonably holistic strategy implemented by strong public actors focused not only on economic growth, but also on tackling issues of falling housing demand and the need to strengthen the attractivity of city centre. Second, in Ostrava, Bytom and Timisoara strategies have been inspired by neoliberal thinking, denying the important role of public sector city planning and ignoring the fact of shrinkage. In these cities, the main reply to shrinkage has been to seek economic development through the attraction of private investment (especially FDI) into the cities and using pragmatically any EU structural funding.

The Governance of a Shrinking City: Housing Renewal in the Liverpool Conurbation, UK

This paper contributes to an emerging international research agenda examining the governance of ‘shrinking’ (depopulating) cities. It presents the findings of recent empirical research into the governance of housing renewal in the Liverpool conurbation (Merseyside), UK. Housing is a policy area which is directly affected by changes in population trends, and so this study provides insights into the way the conurbation has responded to shrinkage with regard to this issue. This paper concludes that the Merseyside response bears similarities to other international studies of shrinking cities in displaying an interplay between local and wider actors seeking to address the specific problems being faced by the area. An increasing reliance upon private sector involvement has also been evident, concurring with the findings of other recent studies on housing renewal governance in the UK. However, while the agendas of local delivery bodies have aligned in implementing programmes, there have been conflicts with some local residents.

Housing Stakeholder Preferences for the "Soft" Features of Sustainable and Healthy Housing Design in the UK

It is widely recognised that the quantity and sustainability of new homes in the UK need to increase. However, it is important that sustainable housing is regarded holistically, and not merely in environmental terms, and incorporates elements that enhance the quality of life, health and well-being of its users. This paper focuses on the “soft” features of sustainable housing, that is, the non-technological components of sustainable housing and neighbourhood design that can impact occupants’ health and well-being. Aims of the study are to ascertain the relative level of importance that key housing stakeholders attach to these features and to investigate whether the opinions of housing users and housing providers are aligned with regards to their importance. An online survey was carried out to gauge the level of importance that the key stakeholders, such as housing users, local authorities, housing associations, and developers (n = 235), attach to these features. Results revealed that while suitable indoor space was the feature regarded as most important by all stakeholders, there were also a number of disparities in opinion between housing users and housing providers (and among the different types of providers). This implies a scope for initiatives to achieve a better alignment between housing users and providers.

Questioning the concept of market failure in housing: the case of Housing Market Renewal in Liverpool

The case for intervention in housing markets often turns on the concept of market failure. However, diagnosing the characteristics of market failure is problematised by the fact that transactions in housing are so complex. From the specific geographies of neighbourhoods and hedonic characteristics of individual properties to national macro-economic variables and the effects of globalised financial services, the factors affecting local prices are legion. Around the millennium concern about low demand in some urban housing markets in Britain led to a Government policy known as Housing Market Renewal. This sought to stabilise market conditions, particularly through supply-side interventions. Building upon the work of Nevin and others, and through a detailed quantitative study of the housing market in Liverpool (UK) this paper debates the concept of market failure and explores both the effectiveness of attempts to tackle market failure through the decade after 2000 and the impact of the post-2007 economic crisis on these same areas. The paper concludes that, despite substantial state intervention, many of the neighbourhoods that were vulnerable to market failure a decade ago remain equally so today.