Steven Henderson

Sustainable urban planning and the brownfield development process in the United Kingdom: Lessons from the Thames Gateway

Abstract Over recent decades urban and regional development agendas in the United Kingdom have become dominated by the discourses of sustainable development, holistic regeneration and community capacity-building. It is in this context that brownfield development has emerged as a core feature in strategies to regenerate urban areas. Bringing brownfields back into use tends to be, a priori, presented as a ‘good thing’ that will have broader economic, environmental and social benefits. This paper assesses the role that brownfield development plays in urban and regional policy agendas in the UK. It begins by identifying the rationales for, and concerns associated with, the brownfield development process in the UK, before discussing the trajectories of policy under the New Labour government since 1997. It argues that at present too much is expected from brownfield-led regeneration programmes and that wider benefits will only accrue if these programmes are embedded within a wider and more comprehensive set of development projects and policy agendas.

Changing Times, Changing Places: Urban Development and the Politics of Space–Time

Much of the writing on urban regeneration in the UK has been focused on the types of urban spaces that have been created in city centres. Less has been written about the issue of when the benefits of regeneration could and should be delivered to a range of different interests, and the different time frames that exist in any development area. Different perceptions of time have been reflected in dominant development philosophies in the UK and elsewhere. The trickle-down agendas of the 1980s, for example, were criticised for their focus on the short-term time frames and needs of developers, often at the expense of those of local communities. The recent emergence of sustainability discourses, however, ostensibly changes the time focus of development and promotes a broader concern with new imagined futures. This paper draws on the example of development in Salford Quays, in the North West of England, to argue that more attention needs to be given to the politics of space–time in urban development processes. It begins by discussing the importance and relevance of this approach before turning to the case study and the ways in which the local politics of space–time has influenced development agendas and outcomes. The paper argues that such an approach harbours the potential for more progressive, far-reaching, and sustainable development agendas to be developed and implemented.

Flagship Regeneration in a Global City: The Re-making of Paddington Basin

Policy-makers in cities across the globe are faced with competing pressures. On the one hand they are increasingly responsible for the economic development and enhanced competitiveness of their cities. Their policy programmes often seek to capture a greater share of global investment and to attract increasingly mobile skilled and creative workers. On the other hand they are also required to enhance levels of social cohesion in cities and tackle the inequalities associated with contemporary forms of economic growth. For many policy-makers large-scale flagship development projects are seen as the pathway towards securing both objectives. This article draws on the example of the redevelopment of Paddington, London, to explore the dilemmas faced by policy-makers and the social and economic implications of contemporary forms of urban regeneration. It argues that the recent buoyancy of Londons globally oriented property market has presented developers, investors and policy-makers with significant commercial opportunities. This in turn has skewed regeneration priorities towards a competitiveness focus which continues to shift attention away from social concerns. The article concludes by suggesting that changing credit conditions may have significant impacts on future developments.

An Evaluation of the Layering and Legacy of Area-based Regeneration Initiatives in England: The Case of Wolverhampton

In England, there have been 40 years of area-based initiatives (ABIs) involving strategic national government intervention in local authority areas with significant regeneration needs. Whilst they have been examined individually, less consideration has been given to the layering and legacy of ABIs. Uncertainties include whether local authorities have institutionalised new ways of operating or whether layering complexities have acted as significant barriers. Focusing on Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, this paper examines recent ABI experiences and discusses why support for City Challenge (1992–98) appeared stronger than the more recent New Deal for Communities programme (2001–11). Important ABI legacies include greater diversity of neighbourhood structures, anxiety towards ABIs where property markets are depressed and the realisation that, whilst partnership working has intensified, traditional exclusionary aspects remain. Achieving the most effective governance structures to facilitate urban regeneration remains an on-going challenge, including within emerging Coalition government policy frameworks.

Sustainable Urban Regeneration in a Global City – The Regeneration of Paddington Basin

This chapter examines the processes and practices of local economic\break development policy in London. It argues that they are underpinned by tensions between the twin objectives of promoting the city’s national and international economic competitiveness on the one hand and increasing its levels of social cohesion on the other. These objectives are not always mutually compatible and in the case of a ‘global’ city like London they take on a particularly extreme form with development priorities often skewed towards the global scale and the requirements of economic growth. The chapter draws on a two-year, in-depth study of the politics and practices of one of London’s premiere urban regeneration projects, the Paddington Basin development in the West End. It explores and examines the links between this “flagship” regeneration project and broader agendas for economic competitiveness and social cohesion. It is argued that the former has taken priority over the latter and there exists a disconnection between stated policy objectives and outcomes. The chapter draws out the wider lessons for regeneration projects in cities elsewhere in Europe.