5-4-2-urban-stakeholders-and-regeneration-success

Regeneration Strategies

• In urban areas, where population density is higher, regeneration strategies are often judged against social indicators e.g. 

  • The well-being of residents 

  • The narrowing of any gaps in inequality

The regeneration of Salford Quays

The regeneration of Salford Quays

• Due to the regeneration initiated by Salford City Council (a key stakeholder), Salford Quays has become a desirable residential location with a growing population 

• Problems and conflicts have arisen due to the regeneration:

  • Almost a third of Salford’s existing population live in highly deprived areas

  • 10,500 people live in places of extreme deprivation in Salford, whilst some neighbouring areas have the highest levels of growth

  • New housing is not affordable to the majority of locals 

    • In 2020, two-bedroom apartments in The Lightbox (a new MediaCityUK development) were on sale for £325,000

    • The bottom 20% of workers in Salford earn £16,894 per year

  • In 2012, it was reported that only 24 of the 680 new jobs at the BBC in Salford had gone to local people

  • In 2013, local historians and local people were upset when two iconic industrial quayside cranes were demolished – one of the last icons of Salford’s industrial heritage 

  • As part of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for Salford (2019)

    • Crime has increased – 16th most deprived English local authority out of 317

    • The greatest improvement for Salford has been in the health category, from 7th most deprived to 12th

• The relative success of Salford Quays’ regeneration will therefore be viewed differently by individuals and groups of stakeholders e.g.

  • Salford City Council will view the job creation of Salford Quays as successful, but may not be pleased that the IMD Ranking has got worse

  • Existing residents will welcome the new affordable housing development at Pendleton and the improved environment, but will be displeased by all the extra traffic congestion and the new unaffordable housing

  • Local businesses will welcome the increasing population of wealthier, younger people to boost profits, but not if their business has had to relocate due to the regeneration

Variables to Measure Changes

• The success of urban regeneration can be judged using four variables:

  • Economic e.g. increasing average incomes and the number of better-paid jobs

• Social e.g. reducing levels of deprivation

• Demographic changes e.g. improving life expectancy and reduced health deprivation

• Environmental e.g. reducing pollution levels and the amount of derelict land

• The economic variable:

  • Is often the driving force of urban regeneration

  • National benefits sometimes are seen as more important than local views e.g. the national fracking debate 

• The social variable:

  • Any change should cater for the needs of locals as well as newcomers to the area

  • Locals should not be excluded or forced out of their area

• The environmental variable: 

  • Some residents may have to live in an area that has a poor environment, as they do not have the money to move

  • An enhanced environment will attract people to live, work or visit the place

• The variable for demographic changes:

  • An increase in the proportion of younger, working-age people indicates that the area has more economic prospects or greater opportunities for tertiary education e.g. universities

  • A decrease in the overall numbers of any age group, in an area, is not a positive indicator 

    • The regeneration strategy may have caused these groups to leave the area

Stakeholder Criteria for Success

• Urban regeneration involves a wide range of stakeholders with different social, economic and environmental expectations and interests

  • Therefore the relative success of regeneration is often viewed differently by individuals and groups of stakeholders e.g.

    • Locals

    • Local government

    • National government

    • Developers (property, business)

    • Migrants

    • Local businesses

• A stakeholder’s lived experience of a place can affect their judgement of urban regeneration and whether it has successfully changed the place, as well as the image of it.

Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Urban Regeneration