Greg Lloyd

Tax-based mechanisms in urban regeneration: Dublin and Chicago models

The increasing interest in the potential use of fiscal incentives as a mechanism for stimulating urban renewal has been highlighted by a number of influential policy sources. This paper assesses the application and outcomes of tax-based incentives in urban regeneration, with particular focus upon the differing models represented by Dublin (Ireland) and Chicago (USA). Issues considered include utilisation of tax incentives, drawing-down of benefits, role of actor groups, ability to lever private-sector finance, impact on property market performance and wider economic influences. Conclusions advance the case for tax-based mechanisms as an instrument in the delivery of urban regeneration but stress the need for complementary structures to exploit fully the fiscal incentives.

Devolution, Institutions, and Organisations: Changing Models of Regional Development Agencies

Prior to devolution, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each had their own autonomous development organisations to undertake and promote regional economic planning and development within their respective territories. These operated within a national UK regional policy framework. An expectation of devolution was that the development organisations would continue to evolve in different ways according to the prevailing and anticipated economic conditions and differentiated needs and priorities of the regional economies. Indeed, the model was further extended. In England, for example, regional development agencies were established as an integral part of the new intended Regional Assembly infrastructure—providing important economic development delivery functions to the new political bodies. In general terms, a more effective integration of planning, infrastructure provision, business development and investment, and economic development was anticipated at the regional level. This was held as an effective means of contributing to national economic growth and competitiveness objectives: themselves key and pivotal rationales for political devolution. On the basis of benchmarking exercises and academic and policy literature we review and analyse the significant changes that have taken place in the institutions which have been generated across the UK since the late 1990s, presenting and contrasting each nations and regions experiences with an appreciation of their specific powers and resources.

National Parks in Scotland: Balancing Environment and Economy

The use of National Park designations to bring about aims including the protection and conservation of the natural environment has become established in most European Union member states. In the UK, such arrangements have long featured in England and Wales, but they have not been paralleled by similar designations in Scotland. Now, however, National Parks are being introduced in Scotland. While the proposed arrangements build on the experience of National Parks elsewhere in Europe, and particularly in England and Wales, they incorporate the distinctive feature of seeking to bring about socio-economic development as well as environmental protection.

Business Improvement Districts and the Discourse of Contractualism

Business improvement districts (BIDs) are increasingly being advanced in a range of national contexts as a new delivery mechanism for securing improvement, regeneration and enhanced service delivery in specifically delineated districts. This paper considers BIDs as an example of a modern institutional design that is reconfiguring existing economic and legal regimes within town centres. Drawing on the theories of new institutional economics and transaction costs, the paper discusses how the contractual turn in urban governance advances our conceptual understanding of the rationale, scope and significance of partnership working. The discussion brings together emerging literatures around new ways of understanding partnership working in government thinking. It contrasts the advocacy and use of BIDs with the (previously established) practices of town centre management. It asserts that BIDs represent a new form of formalized and contractualized partnership working in sub-municipal governance, which has particular spatio-temporal implications for state–market–civil relations.

City-Visions: Visioning and Delivering Scotland's Economic Future

The theme of this paper is the current practice of vision and visioning in land use planning in Scotland. The recent allocation of £90 million as part of the Building Better Cities Growth Fund required Scotlands six principal cities to prepare a city-vision. This was based on the perceived necessity of shared visions in providing a clear framework to guide development. The paper examines the contested concepts of visions and visioning and asks whether the prescriptive approach to the city-visions provides for inspirational or aspirational visions.

Community Planning and Land Use Planning in Scotland A Constructive Interface

This article explores the ways in which the inherited fragmentation of public services and associated delivery arrangements are being addressed in Scotland. Specifically, the article considers the modernization of an established part of local governance — land use planning, and a novel articulation of modernization through community planning. There are important differences between them, yet they share common interests in securing the integration of service. Through a synthesis of research evidence, emerging policy documentation and consultation responses, we address three questions. First, is the emphasis on integration in both land use planning and community planning helping to address the fragmented state? Second, how are land use planning and community planning adapting to local circumstances? Third, what is the nature of the relationship between these different attempts to plan for local communities? The article considers to what extent this turn to integration within and between land use planning and community planning is constructive.

Facilitating Institutional Reform in England: Reconciling City-regions and Community Planning for Efficiency Gains?

Considerable debate has taken place in England around the concept of the city-region. While there is contestation over the terminologies and interpretations of city-regionalism, this paper considers the extent to which it can offer a more integrative set of arrangements for community planning practices in England. Community planning is concerned with securing institutional efficiencies and sustainable development gains in the context of local service provision and integration. Attention is drawn to the extent to which the convergence of these two parallel processes may either exacerbate or ameliorate the institutional barriers to securing efficient and effective community planning. The paper argues that the effective translation of city-regionalism into practice is influenced by (i) variance in the territorial imaginaries/operational boundaries of local institutions and the impact on city-regional governance structures; (ii) the consistency of approach to city-regionalism that is evident within central government and the impact of national policy guidance on the establishment of functional city-regions and (iii) a lack of vertical integration between community planning and city-regional working. These impinge on the extent to which an effective “spatial fix” can be secured locally and the ability of community planning to act as a “decongestant” within an increasingly congested state.

New Labour and the Planning System in Scotland: An Overview of a Decade

Abstract This paper reviews New Labours planning legacy in Scotland to the Scottish National Party that was elected to office in May 2007. It highlights the significance of devolution in providing the political context and impetus for re-designing and reforming a more distinctive Scottish planning system. Significant factors also include the influence of European spatial planning principles and the technocratic–democratic tensions of the (New) Labour–Liberal Democratic coalition government that had promoted economic growth in Scotland during this period. The paper speculates on how the change to a Scottish National Party administration will take forward this inheritance.

Devolution, Community Planning and Institutional Decongestion?

Abstract Devolution in the UK has been in place for a decade. It was introduced in a differentiated manner with respect to executive, legislative and financial powers. It created opportunities for the devolved administrations to devise more appropriate governance arrangements to address their individual economic and social issues. In addressing inherited institutional and policy fragmentation and deficits, however, this has contributed to a ‘congested state’. As a consequence interest has turned to devising initiatives to serve as a policy and institutional ‘decongestant’. This paper examines what has taken place as the devolved administrations have attempted to develop their own agenda for change with respect to the introduction of ‘community planning’ (as a potential decongestant). It appears that whilst the agents and structures of relevance to community planning differ by the specificities of each devolved administration, in practice there has been a general lack of ‘decongesting’ to date. In turn, this implies that despite the potential for devising more customised approaches and ‘policy learning’ in each area, there are enduring difficulties for modern governance systems to secure the effective local delivery of public policy. It is suggested that more formalised arrangements may be required to support the development of a stronger and broader strategic framework for community planning – and its role as a decongestant therein.

Civic Formation and a New Vocabulary for National Planning

The interest in spatial planning and territorial cohesion has prompted new scales of land-use planning interventions. This paper considers the experimentation and learning around the National Planning Framework in Scotland. This political instrument is predicated on active public participation to craft and legitimate a national planning agenda to re-position a devolved Scotland in a global context. The process involves a two-year programme of participatory activities. This paper conceptualizes this innovation through a discussion of the prerequisites for civic involvement at this national scale. It explores ideas relating to the need to develop a national vocabulary in the context of a small nation state. It highlights ideas relating to civic virtue and civic formation and the significance of an interest in public affairs, respect and trust, political equality, and a sense of public-spiritedness in preparing the way for active public engagement.