Urban Regeneration

Urban Regeneration as a Public Health Intervention

by Casimir MacGregor

Published in Journal of Social Interventions: Theory and Practice 19 (3):38-51

Analyzing Neighbourhoods Suitable for Urban Renewal Programs with Autocorrelation Techniques

by Beniamino Murgante

Murgante, B., Las Casas, G., Danese, M., (2012), "Analyzing Neighbourhoods Suitable for Urban Renewal Programs with Autocorrelation Techniques" In Burian J. (Eds.) Advances in Spatial Planning. InTech — Open Access

Stop and Go: A Field Study of Pedestrian Practice, Immobility and Urban Outreach Work

by Robin James Smith

Hall, T. and Smith, R.J. (2012) Stop and go: a field study of pedestrian practice, immobility and urban outreach work

Drawing on fieldwork observation of a team of street-level welfare bureaucrats, this article presents a pedestrian... more Drawing on fieldwork observation of a team of street-level welfare bureaucrats, this article presents a pedestrian case-study of routine footwork and slow progress in the making and maintaining of contact between outreach workers and the urban homeless. This material is used to highlight two aspects of modern-day mobilities that are perhaps under-examined and certainly worthy of attention. The first is urban pedestrianism, described here not as a means of transport – walking as a way of getting somewhere (else) – but as a nonetheless necessary practice, a job of work, or chore. The article also examines immobility – stopping – as an active accomplishment, something other than the absence or tethering of movement, and reciprocally linked to the pedestrian activity described. The politics of urban public space provide background and context.

Key words: pedestrian(s), walking, outreach, homelessness, regeneration

Sub-national economic development: Where do we go from here?

by Lee Pugalis

‘To Shuffle and to Give Again’: Construction and Destruction of a Critical Area of Porto

by Sónia Alves

with Flávio Nunes, University of Minho, Portugal

This paper aims to contribute to the debate about the causes and consequences of urban decay and urban deprivation in... more This paper aims to contribute to the debate about the causes and consequences of urban decay and urban deprivation in some parts of developed cities. ‘To shuffle and to give again’ is a wellknown
expression that can also be used to describe some urban dvelopment strategies applied to these important areas. Specifically the urban regeneration process that has been conducted on a social
housing district (São João de Deus – SJD) located on the outskirts of Porto, in northern Portugal. The public policies that have been, over the past decades, attempting to deal with this problematic neighbourhood, have also acted as a driving force, creating population movements across Porto. Thus, forcing residential mobility is seen as a part of the solution. This approach is criticized because it does not promote citizens’ participation in the process; in fact, it deals with people as if they were easilymoved pieces in an urban game, forgetting that this kind of policy militates against the development of social networks. This has a negative influence on the social inclusion of these families. Furthermore, the evaluation of this urban regeneration process reveals a sequence of contradictory strategies, as a consequence of political changes in the local authority. This erratic approach evolved from the application of a range of ideas, from revitalization measures to radical solutions such as demolition. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of these decisions, not only on the demolished neighbourhood but also
on those areas of the city that were used to receive SJD’s citizens, questioning whether or not this decision does not amplify the trends of urban segregation within the Porto city.

A diferença que a participação faz em iniciativas de Regeneração Urbana

by Sónia Alves

2008 - Sociedade e território, 41, pp. 8-18, Edições Afrontamento, Porto

Museos y regeneración urbana: del desarrollismo al crecimiento sostenible

by Jesús Pedro Lorente Lorente

MusA, Revista de las Instituciones del Patrimonio Histórico de Andalucía, nº 4, (octubre 2004), p. 27-33.

Housing context and social transformation strategies in neighbourhood regeneration in Western European cities

by Wouter van Gent

A slightly modified version of this paper was published in 'International Journal for Housing Policy', 2010

According to the Western European city thesis, European cities have a unique institutional mix which helps to explain... more According to the Western European city thesis, European cities have a unique institutional mix which helps to explain how social patterns come about. The most important elements of this mix are the interventionist state and the housing system legacy of non-private housing. While these two are vital, overall generalizations are tricky due to regional variations in economic performance, housing markets and local state capabilities. This paper explores the generalizations that can be made about the institutional context of direct interventions in the built environment and housing, i.e. neighbourhood regeneration, in Western European cities. It examines how national policy frameworks and housing market characteristics impinge upon on the adoption of social transformation strategies. Social transformation strategies, often adopted in neighbourhood regeneration, refer to the use of physical interventions to institute social change in deprived areas. Generally, there are two types of social transformation strategies: large-scale tenure restructuring and upgrading. A comparative analysis of four cases of regeneration shows that in Western European cities the opportunities and constraints of national policy framework and regional housing market characteristics help to explain the social transformation strategies adopted locally. Furthermore, it shows that the thesis’ value as an explanatory and analytical framework for Western Europe.

Does Participation Really Matter in Urban Regeneration Policies? Exploring Governance Networks in Catalonia (Spain)

by Marc Martí-Costa

Co-authored with Bonet, Jordi y Parés, Marc
Published in Urban Affairs Review

In this article we focus our attention on the progressively prominence of the citizen participation into the networks... more In this article we focus our attention on the progressively prominence of the citizen participation into the networks of governance oriented toward urban regeneration. We expound the main results of our recent research carried out in 10 deprived neighborhoods in Catalonia (Spain), going in depth into three central issues: (1) the weight of citizen participation in the governance networks, (2) the substantive effects of this participation, and (3) the factors that influence the variety of experiences of participation in urban regeneration. We conclude that the development of participatory governance networks is dialectically related to policy outcomes and to prior structural elements like the position of the neighborhoods within the urban system or the availability and characteristics of the local social capital

The knowledge city against urban creativity? Artists' workshops and urban regeneration in Barcelona

by Marc Martí-Costa

Nowadays, knowledge, culture and creativity are cornerstones of cities’ strategies for local development. Following... more Nowadays, knowledge, culture and creativity are cornerstones of cities’ strategies for local development. Following different approaches, cities are trying to develop knowledge and creative districts/neighbourhoods to foster economic growth in the new economy. Nevertheless there are several contradictions between the knowledge economy and the creative economy as motors for urban development. Through the study of artists’ workshops located during the 1990s in an old industrial neighbourhood planned to be a new knowledge district of Barcelona, these contradictions are explored and the policy results are explained.

Urban Entrepreneurial Strategies in Historic District Regeneration: Four Cases from China

by Jingyao Wang

"Paper presented In 3rd World Planning Schools Congress. Perth (WA), Australia: The University of Western Australia, 4-8 July 2011.

Key Words: Urban Governance, Entrepreneurialism, Spatial Strategy, Urban Conservation, Urban Regeneration

Abstract: In recent years, urban government has become increasingly more pre-occupied with new ways to cultivate and... more Abstract: In recent years, urban government has become increasingly more pre-occupied with new ways to cultivate and promote local development. A variety of strategies have been utilized to attract footloose capital, create place image, and reinvent cities to fit in global place market. This paper explores the urban entrepreneurial governance strategies in China as typified by regeneration projects in four cities of two different geo-political scales. In each case, the study provides an examination on the regeneration process in a chronological manner, analyzes the detailed conservation planning strategies. In conclusion, the enabling governance stance of the local government is clearly identified. All cases demonstrate a government redirection of the regeneration towards a larger market by the capitalization of traditional place image, function or identity. A distinction between a localized and a “glo-calizaed” spatial planning strategy is highlighted at the end

Investigative Management and Consumer Research on the Internet

by Peter Lugosi

A final version of this paper will be published as Lugosi, P., Janta, H. and Watson, P. (2012) Investigative Management and Consumer Research on the Internet. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management Vol. 24, No. 6. Please consult the final published version if citing.

This paper introduces the notion of Investigative Research on the Internet (IRI) and conceptualises its processes... more This paper introduces the notion of Investigative Research on the Internet (IRI) and conceptualises its processes through the principle of streaming. It discusses the similarities and differences between IRI and netnography and considers various aspects of the IRI process, including site selection, sampling, data collection and analysis. It is argued that streaming can help to understand the processes involved in conducting netnographic research. Moreover, it is suggested that streaming is a more appropriate way to conceptualise some internet-based studies that do not conform to netnographic or ethnographic ideals. Three international empirical cases are used to illustrate the application of IRI and streaming in research on international workers, consumer cultures and on emerging business phenomena.

Managing assets and risks through ownership and regeneration: housing policy in the Netherlands

by Wouter van Gent

A slightly altered version of this paper was published as:
Van Gent, W. P. C. (2010) "Managing Assets and Risks through Ownership and Regeneration: Housing Policies in the Netherlands", in: J. Doling, M. Elsinga and R. Ronald (eds.) Home Ownership; Getting in, Getting from, Getting out, Part III (Delft/ Amsterdam, Delft University Press/ IOS Press), pp 101-118.

Owner occupancy has been on the rise in recent decades. While some countries have had high rates of owner occupancy... more Owner occupancy has been on the rise in recent decades. While some countries have had high rates of owner occupancy for some time, many traditionally rental-oriented countries in Western Europe are showing increasing rates of owner occupancy. This trend is related to top-down government policies that encourage this form of tenure.The promotion of owner occupancy is best understood in relation to the distinct ideology, or ideologies, of home ownership.
The first aim of this paper is to examine Dutch housing policy for the presence of an ownership/asset ideology, and to appraise this ideology within the context of the Dutch housing system.
The second aim of this chapter is to illuminate the role of urban regeneration in the promotion of owner occupancy. This paper will argue that urban regeneration is both a strategy for reforming the housing supply and a strategy of risk mitigation.

An Adaptive Ecosystem Approach to Rehabilitation and Management of the Cooum River Environmental System In Chennai, India

by Martin Bunch

Book:

Bunch, M. J. (2001). An Adaptive Ecosystem Approach to Rehabilitation and Management of the Cooum River Environmental System in Chennai, India. Geography Publication Series, No. 54. Waterloo, ON, Department of Geography, University Waterloo: 461. ISBN: 0921083629

and

PhD Dissertation, Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental
Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2000
xviii and 404p., 53 tables, 61 figures and 24 boxes

This research investigates the application of an adaptive ecosystem approach to the problem of the Cooum River and... more This research investigates the application of an adaptive ecosystem approach to the problem of the Cooum River and environs in Chennai (formerly Madras), India. The Cooum River is an extremely polluted urban stream that flows into the Bay of Bengal through the heart of Chennai, India’s fourth largest metropolis. During the dry (non-monsoon) season, the upper reaches of the river are dry and flow in the river may be attributed primarily to the production of sewage by the city’s population. The river is essentially a foul-smelling open sewer.

Complexity of the problem is due as much to human factors (population growth, poverty, uncontrolled urban development, jurisdictional conflicts, modes of behaviour of the citizenry, and institutional culture) as to physical characteristics of the system (flat topography, tidal action, blockage of the river mouth by sand bar formation, and monsoon flooding). Uncertainty in the situation is both structural (regarding main processes and activities in the system and the nature of relationships among the various actors and elements), and parametric (having to do with scarcity, poor quality and restricted access to data).

This work has drawn upon methods and techniques of Adaptive Environmental Management and Soft Systems Methodology to operate the ecosystem approach and address the problem. Specifically, this has involved a series of workshops which have brought together planners, researchers, NGOs, and other stakeholders in a participatory process oriented toward problem definition, system identification and conceptualization, determination of objectives for management, and the generation and exploration of management interventions. In addition, a central component of the program has been the development of a loosely-coupled GIS, environmental simulation model, and a decision support module. This is based upon a framework provided by participants in the first workshop in the series, and operationalizes a common understanding of the system.

In addition to generating new insight into the nature of the problem situation, the research has provided a potentially useful tool to planners, managers and researchers in Chennai in the form of a GIS database and decision support system (DSS). Aside from the tool itself , it was found that the process of developing a conceptual model, and attempting to represent this in the DSS has made a significant contribution to understanding of the Cooum system. In particular, this process forced assumptions to be stated explicitly and publically, highlighted areas of uncertainty and led to new understanding in participants’ conception of the problem situation. The program of research also provided a much needed forum for open debate and exchange of information which was removed from the restrictive institutional culture of government departments.

Mundane reason, membership categorization practices and the everyday ontology of space and place in interview talk

by Robin James Smith

Housley, W. and Smith, R.J. (2011) Mundane reason, membership categorization practices and the everyday ontology of space and place in interview talk. Qualitative Research. 11 (6): 698-715

In this article we aim to utilise and apply ethnomethodological and interactionist principles to the analysis of... more In this article we aim to utilise and apply ethnomethodological and interactionist principles to the analysis of members’ situated accounts of regenerated urban space. With reference to previous empirical studies we apply membership categorization analysis and the concept of mundane reason to data gathered from situated street level interviews carried out as part of a programme of ethnographic research into the regenerated setting of Cardiff Bay. The article demonstrates that these data yield sociological insight into social actors’ interpretive and interactional reasoning in relation to the negotiation, navigation and comprehension of space and place. Through this work the patterned signatures of the urban interactional order can be identified. Furthermore, we illustrate the forms of emic rationality associated with the everyday and ubiquitous constitution of urban space as a meaningful, and thence cultural, milieu. It is our claim that an appreciation of these urban forms of reasoning is important in the ethnographic, sociological and geographical analysis of space and place.

The Fabric of Visions, A reflection on the democratic potential of physical capital

by François Matarasso

Paper originally published by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) in 2005 as part of a book on Physical Capital

The term 'physical capital' was originally used to mean machinery, buildings and equipment used in a production... more The term 'physical capital' was originally used to mean machinery, buildings and equipment used in a production process. But as with other types of capital - social or human, for instance - the notion has broadened over the last few decades. CABE defines physical capital as the identity that results from a combination of buildings and spaces mixed with local people's culture and behaviour.

One of the difficulties of this concept is the question of ownership. The fabric of a neighbourhood, whether privately or publicly owned, is often treated as though it is private capital. This can make creating a sense of neighbourliness very hard.
The essential point of capital is to produce goods. Buildings and spaces do this - a shop provides a place to trade, a park a place to relax; and in fact, many parts of the physical environment have multiple capacities. However, a building that merely lives up to its function does not necessarily create benefit for those who live nearby, as people living beside scrap yards or wind farms might testify. Cultural value is another variable that affects physical capital. The value we attach to a house or neighbourhood can be influenced by an abstract intervention like a blue plaque or World Heritage Status.

One big limitation of physical capital is its subjectivity and nowhere is this more apparent than in questions of design. One person’s masterpiece is another’s unmade bed. It's clear that physical capital is not as easily measured as the economic version. But certain generalisations can be made about what constitutes quality in the built environment, such as fitness for purpose or longevity, standards that the Millennium Dome would have failed to meet.

The point of assessing physical capital should be to learn more about how we can improve neighbourhoods. Any attempt to measure physical capital through a 'physical capital audit' is inherently subjective, but this is not necessarily a problem. If the concept is accepted as subjective, it can still help local people, rather than professionals, to shape their communities for themselves.

La gobernanza en los procesos de regeneración urbana: La Ley de Barrios de la Generalitat de Cataluña.

by Jordi Bonet Martí

Ponencia elaborada en colaboración con Marc Martí Costa y Miquel Pybus
presentada en el IX Congreso de la AECPA (Asociación Española de Ciencia Política) celebrado en Málaga el 23, 24 y 25 de septiembre de 2009.

Esta comunicación pretende, en el marco de los procesos de gobernanza urbana y la lucha contra la exclusión social... more Esta comunicación pretende, en el marco de los procesos de gobernanza urbana y la lucha contra la exclusión social urbana, entender las diferencias en los niveles de participación y de integralidad existentes en ocho proyectos de la Ley 2/2004, de 4 de junio, de mejora de barrios, áreas urbanas y villas que requieren atención especial. Primeramente se ha realizado un desarrollo conceptual sobre la participación y la integralidad en los procesos de regeneración urbana actuales, así como la estrategia metodológica empleada en la investigación. A continuación, hay una breve introducción de la Ley de Barrios y los elementos novedosos que ésta conlleva respeto las políticas de regeneración urbana implementadas hasta la fecha. Finalmente, se reflexiona sobre los factores que nos permiten explicar a) las diferencias en las características y la incidencia de la participación ciudadana; b) los diferentes niveles de integralidad de los diferentes proyectos de intervención y c) las interrelaciones entre participación e integralidad.

Reclaiming Respectability? The Class-cultural Dynamics of Crime, Community and Governance in Inner-city Dublin

by Jonathan Ilan

published in Urban Studies

This paper critically examines developments in Irish urban governance through an ethnographic account of one... more This paper critically examines developments in Irish urban governance through an ethnographic account of one community’s historical memory and contemporary structure. During an era of rapid economic growth, the Irish state has courted previously excluded communities, offering them greater ‘inclusion’ as ‘partners’ in responding to urban decay and crime. The micro-governance structures this creates, however, become sites of contest between competing community factions and class-cultural imperatives. Tensions emerge between aspirational community leaders championing the aesthetics (if not the values) of ‘respectability’ and residual residents who are presented as ‘rough’. The paper demonstrates that nuances of class-cultural identity dictate the character of partnership governance at the community level with particular implications for local regeneration and crime control agendas.

La participació en els plans integrals de la Llei de barris de la Generalitat de Catalunya

by Jordi Bonet Martí

Co authored with Marc Martí, Miquel Pybus, David Vílchez

La present investigació pretén donar resposta a tres grans preguntes: Com s’està duent a terme la participació en els... more La present investigació pretén donar resposta a tres grans preguntes: Com s’està duent a terme la participació en els projectes integrals desenvolupats en el marc de la
llei de barris? Quin és l’impacte de la participació ciutadana en els projectes integrals? Com influeixen les diferents formes i graus de participació en els continguts de les polítiques de regeneració urbana dels projectes integrals? Aquests objectius donen continuïtat a la línia de recerca sobre participació i territori que està actualment desenvolupant l’IGOP. En aquest sentit, aquest projecte és complementari amb la recerca del “Governança i participació en els processos de regeneració urbana: el cas de la llei de barris de la generalitat de Catalunya” finançada per l’Escola d’Administració Pública de Catalunya en la convocatòria 2007 i el projecte de recerca del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia “Redes, participación y políticas regeneración urbana"
urbana en centros històricos” (SEJ 2007-67388/CPOL).

Urban governance and regeneration policies in historic city centres: Madrid and Barcelona

by Jordi Bonet Martí

Co-authored with Ismael Blanco and Andres Walliser
Published in Urban Research & Practice, 4(3), 326-343

In this article we seek to analyse and compare the models of regeneration of the city centres of Barcelona and Madrid... more In this article we seek to analyse and compare the models of regeneration of the city centres of Barcelona and Madrid in the light of the transformation of urban governance in Spain. New ways of network governance are emerging in European cities and Madrid and Barcelona are no exception. Urban policies are evolving towards the creation of more integrated strategies for regeneration that involve not only multiple public stakeholders, but also private actors including social and community organizations. Despite both cities showing some common trends, the analysis reveals significant differences between the two cities, both in terms of the composition and the dynamics of the governance networks, and the priorities and strategies for regeneration. The article concludes by discussing the possible explanatory factors for such differences and their political implications.