Ivan Turok

Inward Investment and Local Linkages: How Deeply Embedded is “Silicon Glen”?

TUROK I. (1993) Inward investment and local linkages: how deeply embedded is “Silicon Glen”?, Reg. Studies 27, 401–417. Substantial opportunities were created for local linkages by the sharp growth in output of the Scottish electronics industry in the 1980s. Twelve per cent of material inputs by value are currently sourced locally. Evidence about the nature of these links suggests that many correspond more closely to a simple dependent model than to a self-sustaining development scenario. Most involve capacity- or labour sub-contracting, or supply of relatively bulky, simple components. High value links are limited to branches of foreign suppliers. The reasons for the pattern of sourcing include issues of technology, quality, responsiveness and price. Examples of corporations which stress these attributes are provided. TUROK I. (1993) Investissement direct et liens locaux: dans quelle mesure la “Silicon Glen” est-elle ench[acaron]ssee?, Reg. Studies 27, 401–417. Aux annees 80 de grandes opportunites ont e...

Property-Led Urban Regeneration: Panacea or Placebo?

In recent years urban policy has come to rely increasingly on private-sector property development to provide the driving force. Popular opinion is sharply divided about the value of this approach. In this paper, an examination is made of five ways in which property could contribute to urban economic regeneration: through the direct employment effects of construction-related activity; by accommodating the expansion of indigenous firms; by attracting inward investment; by revitalising run-down neighbourhoods; and by initiating area-wide economic restructuring. Appropriate property development can have positive economic effects but it has to be part of a more holistic approach that embodies concerns for people living in deprived areas and for the underlying condition of the local economy. Unrestrained market-led development may have detrimental consequences for the economic fabric of cities and for the quality of life of their residents.

Evaluation and Understanding in Local Economic Policy

Recent evaluative studies of local economic policy have emphasised the measurement of policy impacts and cost-effectiveness above all else. More effort could usefully be made to understand the mechanisms by which policy effects are produced and the circumstances which condition their effectiveness. The paper outlines a simple conceptual framework to help explain in broad terms why local industrial policies are or are not effective at creating employment. The framework is illustrated with examples drawn from an initiative in London. This involved the provision of financial assistance to local firms, but did not prove very successful at creating or securing jobs, partly because circumstances were unfavourable and the problems deep-seated. The implication is that for local policies to be effective in these conditions wider-ranging and more carefully targeted interventions are required.

Policy evaluation as science: a critical assessment

During theh last few years policy evaluation has become an important area of research. Urban and regional policies have been subjected to more detailed scrutiny than ever before. Yet the gowing body of evaluative research remains isolated from many wider debates in the social and economic sciences. This can be attributed partly to the predilection for scientific methods, caused by the apparent certainty and objectivity they confer. This orientatioin is reflected in the tendency to separate evaluation from the policy process; the narrow perspective of many evaluative studies; the emphasis on quantification; the mechanical approach to analysis; and the inattention paid to undestanding causal processes.

Evaluation and accountability in spatial economic policy: A review of alternative approaches

Abstract In recent years evaluation has become a more prominent issue in policy research and practice. This is partly a consequence of government attempts to introduce new ways of monitoring and controlling the activities of the public sector. This paper explores the implications of different approaches to the evaluation of spatial economic policies. The issue is timely, given the major reforms that have been taking place, often with limited analysis of effectiveness of past programmes. Different types of evaluation reflect different values, assumptions and purposes. Those based on physical output measures have been important historically, but are not very revealing, particularly in economic development. Financial measures are increasingly important, but are narrow and restrictive. The wide remit and responsibilities of the public sector suggest that a broader approach should be adopted. Social accounting offers the potential to examine issues of quality, distribution, and the overall economic and social ...

Development planning and local economic growth: A study of process and policy in Bracknell New Town

The Objectives of the New Towns Programme. The background to the new towns programme. The powers, resources and priorities of the development corporation. Conclusion. The Role of Bracknell Development Corporation. Setting up the new town. Phase one: 1949-1954. Phase two: 1955-1959. Phase three: The 1960s. Phase four: The 1970s. The final phase: the early 1980s. Conclusion. The Outcome and Impact of Bracknell New Town. Social aspects of Bracknells development. Physical aspects of Bracknells development. Financial aspects of Bracknells development. Economic aspects of Bracknells development. Decanting industry from London. Developing a local economy. The initial location of firms. The subsequent performance of firms. Summary. The Process Underlying Employment Growth in Bracknell. The analytical framework. Forms of production reorganisation in Bracknell. Extensive growth. The changes in production. The significance of extensive growth in Bracknell. An illustrative study of extensive growth: Premier Precision Ltd. Conclusion on extensive growth. Investment and Product Development. The changes in production. The significance of product development in Bracknell. An illustrative study of product development: Racal Electronics PLC. Conclusion on investment and product development. Investment and technical change. Stagnation and Locational Shift. Conclusion. Bibliography.

Tackling poverty through housing investment: An evaluation of a community self‐build project in Glasgow

Abstract Community self‐build housing has been proposed as a means of tackling urban poverty in Britain. Advocates believe it can improve access to employment and housing for poor people simultaneously. In this paper, a detailed evaluation is made of a community‐based project in Drumchapel, Glasgow. The project was most successful in physical and organisational terms: a major refurbishment scheme was organised by a partnership of diverse bodies and completed on a tight timescale using unskilled, inexperienced labour. The cost was not much greater than it would have been using a commercial contractor and a trained workforce. Most participants gained a sense of achievement and interpersonal skills from working as a group on a practical project. Yet, not many moved into the flats afterwards and stayed, and few secured jobs straightaway. Overall, the project was a valuable learning experience and there may be scope for wider application of many of the basic ideas. There are also specific lessons for the Drumc...

The growth of an indigenous electronics industry: Scottish printed circuit boards

The growth and development of the Scottish printed circuits industry is examined in this paper. It is an unusual case of strong indigenous growth with limited foreign ownership. The sector produces a quarter of all UK sales of open-market printed circuit boards (PCBs) and employs 1800 people, 50% more than a decade ago. Its growth is explained in terms of four key interrelated factors: the special nature of PCB production, local demand conditions, the sectors organisational structure, and government support. The sector is best conceptualised as part of a wider division of labour within the regional electronics industry rather than as a distinct, closely connected cluster. Contemporary pressures promoting the sectors restructuring are discussed in the conclusion. A more active policy response may be required to secure the sectors future. Closer cooperation between the firms may also be important in overcoming present fragmentation.

Public investment and privatisation in the new towns: a financial assessment of Bracknell

New towns are often considered to be among the best examples of urban planning in Britain. In this paper their financial implications are assessed, drawing on the example of Bracknell. The financial costs and consequences of the new towns were initially very unclear, but the government took a long-term and fairly generous attitude towards investment because of the wider economic and social benefits that were anticipated. Expenditure controls tightened as the costs of development increased and the political and economic climate changed. Within the last decade government policy has been to sell off the publicly-owned assets created over the previous three decades. Bracknell ultimately achieved a reasonably favourable financial outcome. How and why this occurred are examined. Also, some of the effects of privatisation are explored and lessons are drawn for urban policy more generally.

Pitfalls in industrial first aid: Examples from an initiative in London

Abstract This paper seeks to illustrate the value of detailed, ‘intensive’ analyses of the impact of local authority financial aid to industry. It examines the strategies and performance of three firms that received substantial assistance from the London Borough of Southwark in the period of 1977–1983. In the process it reveals some of the difficulties involved in attempting to create and save jobs in relatively weak local enterprises. These difficulties relate to the internal characteristics of such firms, the increasingly competitive environment in which they operate, and the limitations of arms-length financial assistance provided on its own. The policy implications are that more wide-ranging interventions are necessary in such circumstances