John Paul McCarthy

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.

Tourism‐related waterfront development in historic cities: Malta's Cottonera Project

The emergence of new tourism‐related land uses within historic port cities has brought a range of physical, economic and social benefits. However, there are often associated tensions between the need for economic development and the need to maintain the unique heritage resource that may be a large part of the attraction for visitors. The case of Maltas Cottonera Project—for the waterfront of part of the historic ‘Grand Harbour’—throws these tensions into sharp relief; indeed, the controversy generated by the proposal led to a successful vote of no confidence in the Maltese government. The case illustrates the problematic role of the spatial planning system in seeking to mediate between interests with opposing aims in historic port cities, and the need to apply principles of sustainable regeneration.

The application of policy for cultural clustering: Current practice in Scotland

Abstract The arts and cultural sectors have been used by many cities in recent decades to bring about effects such as economic diversification, image enhancement, and increased social cohesion. In Scotland, such approaches have been encouraged by the Scottish Executive which has prepared a National Cultural Strategy to ensure that maximum benefit is obtained from cultural development, together with guidance for local authorities in how to implement such a strategy. An important mechanism used in Scottish cities in this context is the encouragement of cultural clustering by means of “cultural quarters”, namely areas that contain a high proportion of cultural uses and are considered appropriate for further concentration of such uses. They may involve uses related to cultural production or cultural consumption, or both, and further spatial concentration is assumed to lead to synergy, agglomeration economies and minimization of amenity loss. However, the designation of such quarters is contested. First, the notion of cultural clustering and designation of cultural quarters in principle may be questioned in terms of its contribution to urban regeneration; and second, there is contention over the optimum orientation of such quarters—for instance whether they should be oriented primarily to consumption, production or both. The cases of cultural quarters in Dundee (formally-designated) and Glasgow (informally-designated) are compared to explore these issues and to highlight conclusions for practice in the field of culture-led regeneration.

Cruise Passenger Terminals, Spatial Planning and Regeneration: The cases of Amsterdam and Rotterdam

Recent growth in the cruise tourism industry has been accompanied by the development of new cruise passenger terminals in many port cities, in part to assist aims for spatial planning and urban regeneration. Such terminals can bring specific benefits but also problems, though application of spatial planning and related policy can help to maximize benefits and ameliorate or mitigate problems. The cases of cruise terminal developments in Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands are illustrative in this context, and offer lessons for spatial planning and regeneration involving cruise tourism elsewhere.

Reflective Writing, Higher Education and Professional Practice

Abstract This article considers the application of reflection via reflective writing in education for built environment professional disciplines such as spatial planning and surveying, and how this is linked to subsequent application in professional practice. It stems from the experience of the author as a teacher in higher education for spatial planning at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and as an assessor for the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Assessment of Professional Competence, which has reflective practice involving reflective writing as an essential component. The article is based on documentary review and action research, and it identifies and explores a potential gap (in both higher education and practice) between the potential for reflection to form the basis for transformation and lifelong learning, and the frequent reality of a more limited, instrumental approach and attitude. This gap, it is asserted, implies the need to prepare students more effectively in higher education for reflective writing, learning and practice.

Generation of supercontinuum and its theoretical study in three-ring silica microstructured optical fibers.

We report supercontinuum generation in nonlinear microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) especially fabricated in a two-step stack and draw process having three rings of airholes. High air-filling fraction (>0.9) is obtained in a simple and straightforward way during the drawing process which is essential to enhance nonlinearity. Two of the fabricated samples are characterized and zero dispersion wavelength is tailored to achieve efficient pumping in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime. The characteristics of the supercontinuum band as observed experimentally show good agreement with the predicted numerically simulated results, where soliton mediated dispersive waves are distinctly observed.

Regeneration and community involvement

The city of Chicago has recently experienced significant growth in terms of residential and service sector development in the downtown area. However, at the same time, several parts of the core city continue to suffer from decline, as indicated by loss of population and employment, and associated concentration of disadvantage. The latest initiative to address such urban decline, the federal Empowerment Zone initiative, has been in operation since 1994, and it has brought a number of positive effects. However, one aspect of the initiative that was highlighted by the federal government--that of community involvement--has proved disappointing. While the level of involvement in the strategy development stage of the Chicago Empowerment Zone was high, this inclusive approach was not carried forward to the implementation phase. This has serious implications for the potential longer-term success of the Zone, as well as for similar area-based regeneration initiatives in other contexts.

Culture, creativity and commerce: trajectories and tensions in the case of Beijing's 798 Art Zone

ABSTRACT The use of cultural and creative clusters to achieve a range of regeneration outcomes is now common practice in cities world-wide. However, clear evidence is lacking on the potential sustainable benefits of such approaches, particularly where they would appear to be based on planning for the primacy of short-term economic aims often linked primarily to consumption-based uses. The case of Beijings 798 Art Zone is illustrative of a creative cluster which has achieved major outcomes in terms of city branding and tourism, but which has also suffered from the dilution of creative production activity and related effects of gentrification. This provides lessons for other cultural clusters in China and beyond.

Social justice and urban regeneration policy in Scotland

The notion of social justice is used in a variety of policy discourses, including urban regeneration policy. At least in rhetorical terms, this usage has been particularly strong in Scotland (Mooney, G., and Scott, G., 2005. Introduction: themes and questions. In: G. Mooney and G. Scott, eds. Exploring social policy in the ‘new’ Scotland. Bristol: Routledge.), for several reasons, including the strengthening of national policy following the creation of the Scottish Parliament (Keating, M., 2005. The Government of Scotland: Public policy making after devolution. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.) and the promotion of national distinctiveness in many aspects of policy. However, this article asks the question: to what extent has this promotion in rhetoric been matched by the reality of policy application? To answer this question, the experience of urban regeneration policy in Scotland since 1997 is examined, highlighting a broad similarity with policy in England (in spite of espoused distinctiveness), and a general shift in approach away from social justice. Conclusions are then suggested for the operation of urban regeneration policy with possible wider application within other countries in Europe.

Business improvement districts and conservation-led regeneration

Business improvement districts (BIDs) have now been established in Scotland, building on experience elsewhere including in England and Wales. It may be argued that BIDs can not only bring enhanced cleanliness, security and minor public realm improvements, but also contribute to more substantial strategic regeneration objectives, including those for the so-called conservation-led regeneration (CLR), particularly where synergies with other funding sources (via partnership) can be achieved. This article considers the extent to which BIDs in Scotland can contribute to such ‘CLR’, using case studies of Alloa and Inverness, where BID areas overlap with established conservation areas. These case studies suggest that, for BIDs to contribute effectively to CLR, there needs to be appropriate prioritization of activities including strategic components; commitment to, and capacity for, partnership working and integration of activities; and involvement of property owners.