Judging the success of urban regeneration

• Sustainable regeneration creates long-lasting economic, social and environmental benefits for a place and larger-scale schemes have sustainability built in to make them cost
• A catalyst is the method used to start a regeneration scheme. If successful in attracting visitors and investment it creates a legacy of
• A legacy can be positive or negative
  • It is judged on the reuse of landmark buildings, the amount of government support required, levels of private investment and whether local people benefit in the long term ↳ Evidence of success is therefore difficult to quantify

Salford Quays in Greater Manchester

🔗 Was once a thriving industrial port, but it was unable to respond to the pressures of technological change 📝 (ie. containerisation) and by the 1980's it was derelict and abandoned. Vandalism, crime rates and unemployment levels were high and deprivation levels soared as people no longer had access to key services. The population fell and property prices slumped.

•                                                           Salford Quays in Greater Manchester*
  

Involving Stakeholders

🔗 The regeneration was based on a common agreement which all stakeholders could sign up to.

•                                                                         Stakeholders*
  

Different priorities, views and opinions were considered:

• Local Council 🔗 wanted a positive external image to attract investment, stressing the importance of landmark buildings and interesting architecture in addition to their goal of reducing deprivation levels.
• Property developers 🔗 wanted an image to maximise sales and rental values (ie. they are profit-motivated)
• Local businesses sought to increase the local population, especially of wealthier residents, to boost trade and profits
• Existing residents desired better housing, community facilities and job opportunities, plus an improved
• National government wanted regeneration to align with national priorities such as the northern powerhouse (policy to increase the economic power and significance of northern cities) plus reduced dependency on benefits. All the decisions made were therefore complex and had to consider how much land should be allocated to each competing demand or issue.

Regeneration Strategies

• The initial development plan, launched in 1985, continued for the next decade, with Salford City Council and private investors developing 90 hectares of former industrial land.
  • It aimed to counteract the social, economic and environmental problems resulting from past industrial
• Cultural landmark buildings such as the Lowry Theatre and Imperial War Museum opened in the early 2000's, followed by MediaCityUK - which was developed by a property company and became home for the BBC and other media The changes that have taken place as a consequence of local and national strategies can be judged using a range of economic, social, demographic and environmental variables in an urban area (refer to 4A.10)

The Desired Outcomes for Stakeholders are Measured in Different Ways

• Local council job creation numbers, areas of disused/derelict land brought back into use, IMD data
• Property developers increases in land values, numbers of investors, higher profit versus investment
• Local businesses rising working age population, increased hiring rates of new
• Existing residents rising incomes, improved health and life expectancy, better access to services, a sense of 'community spirit' and pride (hard to measure but reduced rates of crime and vandalism are good indicators).
• National government reduced out-migration, increases in regional

Changes in Salford Quays

• Housing - Pendleton, Salford - received investment to modernise 1250 houses, build 1600 new homes and establish green spaces. Increased numbers of local parks in Salford have given people a place to meet, socialise and exercise which has contributed to a stronger community spirit. Living conditions have improved, causing a drop in poverty rates
• Facilities - such as the MGM cinema and Copthorne Hotel are in accessible locations which attract not only locals but people from Greater
• Transport - increased footfall has led to investment in transport networks eg. MetroLink tram. Pedestrianised waterfront area improves visitor safety and reduces pollution. Entrances to matorways, railways and Manchester city centre have helped increase both investment and
• Demographics - the median population age is 35 (compared to 39 in England) due to employment opportunities and new apartments attracting young professional workers. This boosts the local economy.
• MediaCityUK has rebranded Salford Quays as a media hub - the first in the country - and has led to global prestige: Proximity to knowledge rather than resources is now the primary driver for growth. The BBC relocated here, attracting investment to create further media and creative-related businesses and
• Employment - the area now has a service-based economy. 153 businesses have been set up, employing over 13,000 people. Firms such as Kelloggs and Ford Trucks have offices in Unemployment fell from 8.7% to 4.5% between 1996 and 2006, the fastest drop ever seen in Greater Manchester.
• Education - the Heritage Centre provides an educational service to schools and the
• Water Quality - cleaner waterways were crucial in attracting public and private investment. SQ now has 'blue flag' standards of water purity, allowing international watersports events to take place.

Overall, Salford Quays has addressed issues such as vandalism, crime rates, poverty and lack of investment. Its cultural regeneration with Heritage attractions and pleasing urban design has made it an attractive place to visit, work and live and it is in keeping with local people's lived experience because it relates to the place's history and traditions and enables them to identify with it. The social, economic and environmental benefits have been felt throughout Greater Manchester and the Northwest. SQ's regeneration has been used as a model for other cities, setting the precedent for the regeneration of other dock and urban waterways, including London Docklands and Liverpool Docks.

Contrasting Criteria to Judge Success

🔗 A key question about regeneration is who has benefitted from it ? Different stakeholders will assess success using contrasting criteria : Their views will depend on the meaning and lived experiences of an urban place and the impact of change on both the reality and the image of that place.

There are many reasons behind contrasting stakeholders' views, which arise owing to their specific needs. 📝 For example :

• Differing views of residents - Long term residents may feel that distinctive characteristics of the area eg. favourite pubs have been lost, whereas new residents may only have moved to the area because they are confident that the character of the place has changed to something acceptable to
• Differing views of those involved in consultations and those who weren't - those involved may feel that their views were incorporated in the regeneration so they feel positive about it, whilst those who weren't consulted may feel excluded and consequently have negative perceptions of the regeneration. Alternatively, those involved in consultations because they had strong feelings regarding how regeneration should occur might feel that their concerns were not taken into account in the
• Differing views between those who are employed and unemployed - the regeneration is designed to make Salford Quays a more attractive place for investors and visitors and provide a better range of attractive But for people who are unemployed, the regeneration does not offer them new job opportunities.
• Polarised views of local businesses between those benefiting from an increased customer base due to the spin-off from regeneration and those whose livelihoods are threatened

Certain Aspects of Salford's Regeneration Have Been Questioned and This Colours the Views of the Stakeholders Negatively Affected by These

1. Salford Quays replaced the historical name of Salford Docklands because this was considered 'too industrial'
2. Apartments in some developments sell at prices well beyond the means of locals £825,000 in NV buildings.
3. In one recent SQ development - the Dock Office - only 50% apartments were sold to locals. The rest were sold to Chinese investors and UK residents living overseas.
4. In 2012, only 24 of the 680 new jobs at the BBC in Salford went to local
5. In 2013, two iconic industrial quayside cranes (which showed Salford's past importance as an inland port) were demolished, upsetting local people and historians.