Regeneration: what can we learn from Europe? Max Nathan, Senior Researcher

1. Regeneration: what can we learn from Europe? Max Nathan, Senior Researcher Centre for Cities at ippr Think 07, 2 May 2007

2. The Centre for Cities • What? An independent urban research unit based at ippr. Core sponsor is Lord Sainsbury • Why? Taking a fresh look at how UK cities function, focusing on economic drivers • When? Launched March 2005. Goesindependent in 2008 • Where? London,Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Sunderland, Derby, Barnsley, Doncaster, Thurrock, Milton Keynes, Dundee … so far

3. About this presentation • Should we learn from Europe? • How should we learn? • An example: city centre living • What else can we learn?

4. Should we learn from Europe? • Yes. The best European cities tend to perform better than American counterparts: higher growth vssegregation, social exclusion, sprawl • But UK urban policyborrows heavily from the US: clusters, city growth strategies, welfare reform, mixed communities • And US policy gurus play an important role in the UK

5. Should we learn from Europe? (2) • The British view of European cities: urban paradise • loft living, trams, café culture, iconic buildings … • UK government: inferiority complex? • Cheerleading for British cities, or fretting about their underperformance • ‘Core Cities have turned the corner’ (ODPM 2004) • ‘Core Cities lag behind their European competitors’ (ODPM 2004)

6. How should we learn? • Are British cities actually doing worse? It’s hard to tell • GDP per capita: London is 23rd in Europe, other Core Cities are a long way behind (Barclays Bank, 2001) • GVA per capita: almost all big British cities outperform the European (and UK) average (ONS, 2001) • Serious problems with the data: data holes, no standard definition of a city, differences between data suppliers

7. How should we learn? (2) • Borrowing policies should be more straightforward • Policy concept: feasible, suitable, achievable • Policy context: fit, history • No single ‘European City’ model: differences driven by national economic trends, policy systems, location • Danger of ‘lofts and latté’

8. Key finding 4: Direct impacts

9. Key finding 4: Direct impacts

10. City centre living • What’s going on? rapid population growth, investment in economy, housing, infrastructure • What’s the attraction? Proximity and buzz • Liverpool:54% want to be central, 35% like urban life (CSR, 2004) • Who’s there: young, single people who don’t stay long. Students, young professionals and low-income groups • Problems: over-supply of small flats, lack of services, ‘conveyor belt effect’ as people move to popular suburbs

11. Barcelona vs. Britain • City centre living is a partial success: we’ve imported the buildings, but not the lifestyles • Why is city centre living not more widespread? Lifestyle differences between UK and e.g. Spain: • Shopping – Britons do supermarkets, Spaniards use small shops • Build – Britons prefer old buildings, Spaniards prefer new-build • Perceptions of flats – Britons aspire to houses, but in Spain flat-living is the norm • Family life – Spaniards are happy to bring up children in flats • Second homes – in Spain owning second homes is the norm for many middle class / wealthy households. In the UK, still rare

12. What else can we learn? • Metropolitan governance works well in e.g. France, Italy. But can take 10-15 years to bed in. Can the UK stick it out? • City leadership – strong, visible, elected leadership pays off in e.g. Paris, Berlin. What’s the best model for the UK? • Connectivity – integrated, well-funded urban transport in e.g. Berlin, Amsterdam. What can we learn from these cities, and from e.g. TfL in London?

13. What else can we learn? (2) • Public space – cities like Barcelona and Valencia build high quality public spaces, let local people ‘co-create’ them. How can we fine-tune public spaces in the UK? • Urban innovation – cities like Helsinki, Stuttgart seem to drive forward innovative activity. What are the key features, and what transfers to the UK?

14. www.ippr.org/centreforcities m.nathan@ippr.org Questions?