Urban Change and Conflict: Evaluating the Role of Partnerships in Urban Regeneration in the UK

Over the past twenty or so years, the focus of urban regeneration in the UK has changed from being based on outcomes that primarily involved property redevelopment – by either the public or private sectors – to a broader mix of issues and a far greater emphasis on the process of urban regeneration and the partnership ideal. The evaluation undertaken here takes a critical stance towards the ways in which the partnership principle has been adopted and the policy guidance that requires it as a near-compulsory model. It is argued that, to date, there is little interest in the managerial effectiveness of partnerships and the broader implications of this for regeneration policy. A survey of the contemporary regeneration literature is undertaken to highlight the partial and inconclusive nature of most existing evaluations of partnerships, particularly given the emphasis on the role of local community leaders in the formulation and implementation of partnership projects. Then, some wider issues of the ‘political economy’ of urban policy are considered in the context of the partnership approach. This is followed by a juxtaposition of trends in property development in general with urban regeneration partnership management processes. Finally, it is concluded that the partnership ideal is a useful policy device but that it has to be thought through more clearly and applied in specific contexts, rather than seen as the best and universally applicable model of urban regeneration.     

Current Urban Discourse,Urban Transformation and Gentrification in Istanbul

In the mid-2000s, unprecedented economic growth provided a catalyst for Istanbul's transformation. Tolga İslam outlines the background to large-scale urban development and renewal projects that have been undertaken by local authorities throughout the city. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding Infill: Towards New Policy and Practice for Urban Regeneration in the Established Suburbs of Australia's Cities

A major challenge for urban Australia and its fast growing cities in particular is the provision of an adequate supply of appropriately located, affordable and sustainable housing across a range of dwelling types. A related challenge involves attempts by the metropolitan planning agencies in the capital cities to restrict residential sprawl and deliver more compact cities. Residential infill in the established suburbs has emerged as one of the principal urban planning policies designed to address this dual challenge. Infill targets, typically in the 50–70 per cent range, are now integral to all capital city planning strategies. This article examines the current pattern of infill housing development in Melbourne, Australia's second largest and fastest growing capital city. It highlights the existence of two infill segments—brownfields and greyfields—each with distinctive patterns of development that need to be better understood if urban regeneration is to figure significantly in delivering more liveable and sustainable cities. Current urban policies, programmes and practices are lacking an effective response to redevelopment of the greyfields.     

Implementation of Urban Development in Sydney: Recent Experience and Future Issues

New urban development is viewed as primarily being about the production of housing and therefore closely related to housing policies. Recent innovations for implementing new urban development at the fringe of Sydney are commented on, and the possibility of increased servicing costs and consequent reduced housing affordability is raised. Given the scarcity of public funds and concern for housing output, the paper argues for moves towards a user-pays approach for pricing serviced land, but with greater assistance for housing output. Furthermore, it is suggested that the concern for avoiding scarcity and managing the supply of serviced land is secondary to the main aim of achieving housing ouput.     

工业区的再生: 从欧洲到中国，在旅游和制造业之间寻求再开发的新趋势

经历了片面的“去工业化”,欧洲城市继承了大批在转型过程中起到重要作用的工业遗产。虽然工业遗产数量在增长,但保护方式依然是将其博物馆化,这经常导致经济上的不可持续。与此同时在中国,虽然遗产规模和定义有着显著差异,旧工业区同样经历了去工业化进程,正日益成为城市肌理的重要地区。 　　文章通过比较欧洲和中国采取的不同策略,研究城市棕地和旧工业区的再开发策略。首先调查对待遗产的不同态度,归纳出中欧两地去工业化的不同历史阶段。在欧洲,随着对“工业文化”的日益关注,这些建筑被视为地方的古迹,试图以此刺激当地经济。另一方面,在中国,大量的工业区被修复,改作私人的创意中心。 　　文章的目标是提出城市工业遗产再开发的第三条道路：在其中植入生产空间、办公室或艺术家工作室等新功能的同时,保持其向公众开放。基于已有案例分析,我们提议的这种方法可以在吸引游客的同时,保持旧工业区的生产性,是实施起来最复杂但也同时最利于私营公司和公众的。 　　今天,每天有数百万人在世界各地旅游,旅游已成为现代城市发展最强劲动力之一。旅游社会学不仅有助于解释这一影响众多城市的全球现象,还提供一套新的工具,更好地分析这一进程,帮助理解建筑设计在界定和处理这种转型时的角色、局限和潜力。这一过程有可能对旧工业区融入当代城市生活和生产发展产生积极影响。     

Negotiating risk in property-based arts economic development: Exploring the innovative but untimely development partnership between the Seattle Art Museum and Washington Mutual

Property-led arts development (PAD) is central to urban policy and planning. The demand for physical arts infrastructure runs parallel with the public call for arts nonprofits to act more entrepreneurial in shaping and re-imaging urban space. Increasingly, these groups have become active property developers negotiating the risks and rewards of land development rather than remaining passive fundraisers of bricks and mortar campaigns. This shift in organizational identity raises questions about whether the politics of urban arts development have changed. This study asks four questions: (1) how are nonprofit arts organizations becoming more entrepreneurial in property development, (2) how are nonprofit arts organizations reshaping the urban landscape through development partnerships, (3) how are nonprofit arts developers responding to the 2008 economic crash, and (4) how does PAD align with new thinking on downtown development alliances? This research explores the innovative but failed land development deal between the Seattle Art Museum and the now-defunct Washington Mutual to build a joint tower in the central business district. Their atypical private/nonprofit partnership changed Seattle’s downtown landscape through flexible ownership structures, generous planning incentives and off-budget municipal maneuvers. The lauded project turned sour when the homegrown financial institution collapsed, forcing the museum into debt with limited private or public sector solutions. While SAM overcame the immediate crisis, the case is a cautionary tale about the long-term risk of contemporary PAD. The case shows that innovative practices do not predetermine success. Further, the partnership study illuminates how contemporary arts investments reflect as well as contradict new thinking in urban politics literature about evolving patterns of influence in U.S. downtowns.     

新型城镇化视角下珠三角地区城市更新利益机制与规划策略--以广州、深圳等地区实践为例

珠三角的“三旧”改造是在既有法律框架和格局下,通过“政策创新”对土地开发利益的重新分配的一种城市更新模式,其实质是一种渐进式的改革,项目成功实施的核心环节在于形成各方意愿一致的“地方发展联盟”。以广州、深圳等地三年来的城市更新实践为例,探讨城市更新如何在规划技术上把握核心环节,维护公共利益,促成多方共赢的局面。上述问题的讨论对我国新型城镇化视角下城市转型发展乃至土地制度的顶层设计具有重要的参考价值和借鉴意义。