tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post6186152322722602071..comments2024-03-29T09:14:53.583+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Political Leadership and City Regeneration Part 2Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-23987797495213435572011-01-08T21:31:55.729+00:002011-01-08T21:31:55.729+00:00Thanks for that, Georgie. I completely agree with ...Thanks for that, Georgie. I completely agree with your arguments on New Labour's uses of regeneration.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-40250992928612661482011-01-08T21:29:36.113+00:002011-01-08T21:29:36.113+00:00Dave, there wasn't much talk about culture per...Dave, there wasn't much talk about culture per se - but I think it was implied in the discussion around regeneration and the need for it to pay attention to the peculiarities of cities AND individual communities.<br /><br />Btw, I know Mark Jayne of old! Cheers for the journal tips.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-23367433194136620832011-01-08T19:20:05.047+00:002011-01-08T19:20:05.047+00:00Sorry about the blind post#
I have sent a contribu...Sorry about the blind post#<br />I have sent a contribution to your e-mail as listed in your profile. it is too long to publish on here but is not excessive.<br /><br />My main point is that regeneration strategies have not been consistent and since much of the process has been managed by Quangos responsible to central government they lack local democratic legitimacy.<br /><br />Local government also has a legitimacy problems given election turnouts.<br /><br /><br />So <br />• LG exists by reason of the powers that central government is willing to concede at any point in time; <br />• messages that Mike Tappin highlighted but in addition including the low level of democratic legitimacy in LG;<br />•institutional confusion including the democratic deficit of control over resources needed to kick start regeneration. <br /><br />I am very nervous about smart decline though looking at the Cities report as you suggested and if the recommendations were accepted then the greening of cities could have significant benefits. But that is not what has been happening in respect of the Pathfinder programme, certainly as applied in Liverpool. The avowed aim of the Liverpool strategy is to increase the presence of middle class homeowners and my perception is that this is being done over the heads of existing working class communities (see works of Chris Allen). We should not underestimate the implications of wholesale housing clearance on existing communities and the obliteration of part of the culture of these communities. So the issue of community involvement as you rightly say is paramount.<br /><br />So whats in it for the state?<br />First New Labour had a political interest in seeking to stabilise those locations which have been the centres of its core support. Second the cities which have been subject of state interventions still contain significant capital investment which the state needs to protect. Third the spatial nature of decline is a patchwork with significant areas of poverty and deprivation very close to areas of growth and affluence. Fourth to achieve greater integration of the ‘underclass’ into wider society. Fifth – to mitigate the worst effects of capital restructuring to avoid the levels of social conflict seen in the past.georgierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02140654539251345863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-29947035949330504712011-01-08T16:52:46.574+00:002011-01-08T16:52:46.574+00:00Yes?Yes?Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-61522534269848193352011-01-08T16:26:26.430+00:002011-01-08T16:26:26.430+00:00PhilPhilgeorgierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02140654539251345863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-3823663706708829132011-01-06T23:09:10.568+00:002011-01-06T23:09:10.568+00:00Fascinating stuff, thanks for that post. I'm i...Fascinating stuff, thanks for that post. I'm interested that there was very little discussion (i might have missed something in reading your post) about the cultural aspects of cities<br />(Obviously the culture/regen stuff has had a fairly robust kicking from People like Mark Jayne)<br /><br />But i think 2 things are important. 1) what keeps people tied to places (Mike Savage's new book touches on this a little) and 2) how political culture makes and shapes decisions about places. Steve Miles and I have written something in Cultural Trends last year about this, which might be of interest.<br /><br />anyway thanks for the post!<br /><br />Dave O'Brien, Leeds MetDave O'Brienhttp://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/international/events/index_david_obrien.htmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-65593901318114838462011-01-05T21:46:56.842+00:002011-01-05T21:46:56.842+00:00Anonymous, there was some interesting material in ...Anonymous, there was some interesting material in the Centre for Cities report on housing market renewal strategy. I recommend you check it out on the links provided in the post. And yes, I would agree with you the strategy was poor and unsuited for the particular circumstances of those locations.<br /><br />From next week a number of repurposed terraced canal side eco homes are due for showcasing. As nice as they are will they meet Stoke's population needs? Will they add value to the area? I hope to go along to find out.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-1185896225817842662011-01-05T21:43:13.947+00:002011-01-05T21:43:13.947+00:00Cheers, Andy. Not all industrial towns have declin...Cheers, Andy. Not all industrial towns have declining populations, but it is a marked trend in medium sized cities of the West Midlands and North England. Comparing Swindon and Stoke for instance, while manufacturing has thrived in your neck of the woods (probably best exemplified in recent times by the decision to site the UK Space Agency in your backyard) Stoke has been through the ringer. There are some manufacturing firms left and some are thriving, but most of the industry associated with steel, mines, and railways has gone. The Potteries have been decimated in the 15 years I've been here. Small wonder we continue to shrink - slowly, but surely.<br /><br />Re: Tristram's comment, this wasn't an expression of desirability on his part. Like everyone else he would like to see more public sector investment in the Potteries. But recognises more is extremely unlikely thanks to government austerity and the programme of savage spending cuts the Tories have imposed on the council. You could plausibly argue private sector-led regeneration has failed in Stoke too as businesses collectively have had a tendency to take jobs away rather than bring them in. This is the impasse the regeneration process in Stoke finds itself in.<br /><br />On regeneration policy more generally it tends not to be an issue the far left addresses all that often. Why not? If we're about offering an alternative vision for how society should be run, surely it's not beyond our ken to level it down to the city-region level too?Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-28262859506104682072011-01-05T01:58:46.924+00:002011-01-05T01:58:46.924+00:00Phil
I will post a comment tomorrow after I have d...Phil<br />I will post a comment tomorrow after I have digested both articles and cleared the SU unadulterated anti SSP bile from my system.<br />In short the New Labour regeneration strategy of Housing Market Renewal which was effectively imposed on Merseyside, GM, WYorks, WM and part Potteries was a disaster.<br />TiggerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-56416838003458124782011-01-05T01:45:42.189+00:002011-01-05T01:45:42.189+00:00Phil
I want to read both articles together and com...Phil<br />I want to read both articles together and comment<br />In particular the NL Governments housing market renewal strategy needs critical appraisal as a strategy for urban renewal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-59390345557167086122011-01-04T14:07:31.388+00:002011-01-04T14:07:31.388+00:00this is interesting stuff Phil
the utter failure ...this is interesting stuff Phil<br /><br />the utter failure of town centre regeneration under tthe Tories in Swindon is one of their biggest problems.<br /><br />However, I was suprised by your impliction that industrial towns have declining populations.<br /><br />Swindon has a manufacturing employment sector of over 13% compared to an English average of 9%, but the population of Swindon continues to grow year on year.<br /><br />i was also concerned about Tristram Hunts cmments about the role of the public sector. Our expereince of Swindon is that the Tories are spending £750000 a year of public money towards a private sector regeneration prgramme that has acheived almost nothing in 7 years.<br /><br />Labour's manifesto for Swindon is still in the discussion stage, but I expect it to include a return to in-house, public sector led regeneration.andy newmanhttp://www.socialistunity.comnoreply@blogger.com