This paper is concerned with the evolution of place-shaping over the past decade or so and its potential future direction, specifically relating to a UK context but with varying aspects of resonance internationally. The methodological approach and empirical originality is derived from practitioner encounters synthesised with theory. Three ‘waves’ of place-shaping are discernable: renaissance, recession mitigation and recovery. Conceptualising and examining the changing face of place-shaping practice, some broad place quality trends are identified. Asserting that renaissance interventions were heavily skewed towards enhancing the material aspects of city spaces it is suggested that recessions provide a useful interject to reflect on past practice, rethink future policies and sharpen skills. It is within such a climate that innovatory practice can flourish as (public, private and community) actors are challenged to seek alternative ways of working. Questioning the wisdom of cuts in quality, the paper calls for new ways of capturing place quality.
Key words: place-shaping, regeneration, urban renaissance, place quality, economic recovery.
2009 The culture and economics of urban public space design public and profes...Lee Pugalis
Urban public space is once again a ‘hot’ topic and figures strongly in place quality discourse. City spaces are being recycled, reinterpreted and reinvented in a drive for a competitive quality of place. This paper illustrates the changing face of contemporary UK public space through a qualitative analysis of the perceptions held by public and professional-bureaucratic actors. Drawing on empirical case study research of five recent enhancement schemes at prominent nodes throughout the North East of England, the research explores the culture and economics of urban public space design. Some tentative observations are expressed in terms of the links between cultural activity and economic vitality, and some reflections on policy and practice are put forward.
Key words: urban public space, cultural vitality, economic activity, place quality
Pugalis, L. (2009) 'The culture and economics of urban public space design: public and professional perceptions', Urban Design International, 14 (4), pp. 215-230.
2009 cultural animation and economic vitality identifying the links and reg...Lee Pugalis
Culture, space and economy are intermeshed in complex ways. This paper reports on findings from a larger empirical research project commissioned to investigate the symbiotic relationship between culturally animated urban street scenes and economic vitality. Grounded in empirical qualitative research focussing on recent place quality enhancement schemes in the North East of England, the central aim of this paper is to make the case that everyday cultural activity and economically vibrant places can go hand-in-hand. The research did not seek to quantify economic benefits of investments in the cultural animation of urban space, but interpretive analysis suggests that place quality regeneration strategies can enhance the economic performance and vitality of places. Based on the argument that cultural production of space and economic development are not, and therefore should not be viewed as, competing objectives, the paper puts forward a range of good practice pointers for policymakers and practitioners embarking on place quality enhancement schemes.
Key words: street scene, cultural animation, economic vitality, place quality, public space and urban regeneration
how cultures shape economies - everyday mechanismsAl James
In recent years, economic geographers have drawn extensively upon notions of ‘cultural embeddedness’ to explore how spatially variable sets of cultural conventions, norms, values and beliefs shape firms’ innovative performance in dynamic regional economies. However, our understanding of these causal links remains partial, reinforced by an ‘over-territorialised’ conception of cultural embeddedness which sidelines the role of institutional actors operating outside and across the boundaries of ‘the local’. So motivated, this paper offers a theoretically-
informed – and theoretically informing – empirical analysis of the high tech regional economy in Salt Lake City, Utah to explore
the everyday causal mechanisms, practices and processes – both local and extra-local – through which firms’ cultural embedding within the region is manifested, performed and (un)intentionally (re)produced. In so doing, this paper aims to further our understanding of the constitutive entanglement and complex interweaving of cultural/economic practices, and to contribute to the development of an in-depth empirical corpus of work which compliments the exciting conceptual developments that have largely dominated cultural economic geography
over the last decade.
Despite the rise to prominence of sustainable planning, the state of urgency and the pressure imposed by the extreme competition between metropolitan territories reduces sustainability to a market-oriented doctrine for deregulated urban development. The aim of this article is an exploration of the current Athenian urban crisis, by centring on sustainable urban development plans, territorial planning institutions, and urban policies. To this end, the phenomenon of urban crisis is explained as a derivative of the failure of sustainability reforms. By establishing a link between the institutional framework governing urban development and the success or failure of sustainability reforms, this article seeks to contribute to the discussion around the attainability, scope and impact of sustainable urban development plans. Through the hypothesis that as long as territorial planning is used as means towards speculative urban development, it will only be equivalent to that of a real estate facilitating mechanism, it is argued that the urban development model of Athens, as well as the role that institutions have in its shaping, is incompatible with any notion of sustainability. The main contribution of this article is to potentially help towards developing a critical reflection on how projects, plans, territories and sustainability should be approached.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2020), 4(1), 71-78.
https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2020.v4n1-7
2009 The culture and economics of urban public space design public and profes...Lee Pugalis
Urban public space is once again a ‘hot’ topic and figures strongly in place quality discourse. City spaces are being recycled, reinterpreted and reinvented in a drive for a competitive quality of place. This paper illustrates the changing face of contemporary UK public space through a qualitative analysis of the perceptions held by public and professional-bureaucratic actors. Drawing on empirical case study research of five recent enhancement schemes at prominent nodes throughout the North East of England, the research explores the culture and economics of urban public space design. Some tentative observations are expressed in terms of the links between cultural activity and economic vitality, and some reflections on policy and practice are put forward.
Key words: urban public space, cultural vitality, economic activity, place quality
Pugalis, L. (2009) 'The culture and economics of urban public space design: public and professional perceptions', Urban Design International, 14 (4), pp. 215-230.
2009 cultural animation and economic vitality identifying the links and reg...Lee Pugalis
Culture, space and economy are intermeshed in complex ways. This paper reports on findings from a larger empirical research project commissioned to investigate the symbiotic relationship between culturally animated urban street scenes and economic vitality. Grounded in empirical qualitative research focussing on recent place quality enhancement schemes in the North East of England, the central aim of this paper is to make the case that everyday cultural activity and economically vibrant places can go hand-in-hand. The research did not seek to quantify economic benefits of investments in the cultural animation of urban space, but interpretive analysis suggests that place quality regeneration strategies can enhance the economic performance and vitality of places. Based on the argument that cultural production of space and economic development are not, and therefore should not be viewed as, competing objectives, the paper puts forward a range of good practice pointers for policymakers and practitioners embarking on place quality enhancement schemes.
Key words: street scene, cultural animation, economic vitality, place quality, public space and urban regeneration
how cultures shape economies - everyday mechanismsAl James
In recent years, economic geographers have drawn extensively upon notions of ‘cultural embeddedness’ to explore how spatially variable sets of cultural conventions, norms, values and beliefs shape firms’ innovative performance in dynamic regional economies. However, our understanding of these causal links remains partial, reinforced by an ‘over-territorialised’ conception of cultural embeddedness which sidelines the role of institutional actors operating outside and across the boundaries of ‘the local’. So motivated, this paper offers a theoretically-
informed – and theoretically informing – empirical analysis of the high tech regional economy in Salt Lake City, Utah to explore
the everyday causal mechanisms, practices and processes – both local and extra-local – through which firms’ cultural embedding within the region is manifested, performed and (un)intentionally (re)produced. In so doing, this paper aims to further our understanding of the constitutive entanglement and complex interweaving of cultural/economic practices, and to contribute to the development of an in-depth empirical corpus of work which compliments the exciting conceptual developments that have largely dominated cultural economic geography
over the last decade.
Despite the rise to prominence of sustainable planning, the state of urgency and the pressure imposed by the extreme competition between metropolitan territories reduces sustainability to a market-oriented doctrine for deregulated urban development. The aim of this article is an exploration of the current Athenian urban crisis, by centring on sustainable urban development plans, territorial planning institutions, and urban policies. To this end, the phenomenon of urban crisis is explained as a derivative of the failure of sustainability reforms. By establishing a link between the institutional framework governing urban development and the success or failure of sustainability reforms, this article seeks to contribute to the discussion around the attainability, scope and impact of sustainable urban development plans. Through the hypothesis that as long as territorial planning is used as means towards speculative urban development, it will only be equivalent to that of a real estate facilitating mechanism, it is argued that the urban development model of Athens, as well as the role that institutions have in its shaping, is incompatible with any notion of sustainability. The main contribution of this article is to potentially help towards developing a critical reflection on how projects, plans, territories and sustainability should be approached.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2020), 4(1), 71-78.
https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2020.v4n1-7
Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour (ABC): The Science of the City
Naples, March 2016
Presentation by Luigi Fusco Girard
Background: the challenges
This Meeting
Some expected conclusions
What is the role of THEORY in Urbanism?Roberto Rocco
This is a presentation prepared for the course Methodology for Urbanism (Ar2U090) of the the TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture. In this presentation we discuss what is theory and why we need theories in Urbanism.
A B S T R A C T
This article aims at following the traces of the transformation of public sphere in Turkey through its manifestations on urban public spaces with the case study of Taksim Square. In this attempt, the article illustrates how Taksim square, as a public space, has been shaped by struggles between different ideologies, discourses, political decisions and daily activities taking place at personal, interpersonal, local, national, supranational and global scales. Through this way this article also aims at understanding how these contestations at different scales are affecting people, individually and collectively, from daily life practices to political integration. The article also discusses that our daily life practices and preferences are political decisions and our participation in public sphere occurs through those daily actions of the personal spheres. Therefore, the article suggests that a paradigm shift is needed in the design and production of the built environments that will facilitate the coexistence of multiple counter publics.
Discussion: The Future of the World is Mobile - Giorgia GiovannettiSTEPS Centre
By Giorgia Giovannetti, University of Firenze and Robert Schuman Centre, EUI. Given at EUI on 10 April 2019.
https://steps-centre.org/event/the-future-of-the-world-is-mobile-what-can-we-learn-from-pastoralists/
Retheorizing the "Urbanization of Capital": 200 Years of Evidence from DetroitDavid Bieri
This research investigates how the evolution of finance and the process of urbanization concurrently give rise to different notions of cyclical risk that are coupled to metropolitan form. Specifically, I illustrate the spatial consequences of the political economy of the U.S. monetary-financial system, paying particular attention to the historical process by which institutional risk allocation failures have shaped urban development in Detroit. The city and its suburbs arose, in part, because building at the city's edge was deemed risk-free and cheap -- a natural extension of the frontier mentality codified in the convex bid-rent curves of the monocentric city model. Specifically, this research proposes a new financial-spatial narrative that links a historicized reading of Detroit's rise and decline to Michigan's turbulent financial history over the last 200 years: First, Detroit emerges as a stereotype of land-capital dynamics. Its rise and fall are largely driven by successive waves of overaccumulation and speculative real estate development. Second, Michigan's financial history is a prototype of financial instability. The institutional origins of financial instability and banking-led crises in Michigan can be found in its 1830s legislative embrace of free banking. Detroit was at the epicenter of the 1933 banking crisis and is today setting precedent for municipal bankruptcy. Third, the Detroit metro area can be read as an archetype of frontier finance; as the financial frontier moves across time and space, different “zones of exclusion” emerge in the form of mortgage speculation, large scale vacancies, financial illiteracy and underbanked sections of the population.
Graham, Stephen, and Patsy Healey. "Relational concepts of space and place: i...Stephen Graham
This paper seeks to conceptualise and explore the changing relationships between planning action and practice and the dynamics of place. It argues that planning practice is grappling with new treatments of place, based on dynamic, relational constructs, rather than the Euclidean, deterministic, and one-dimensional treatments inherited from the 'scientific' approaches of the 1960s and early 1970s. But such emerging planning practices remain poorly served by planning theory which has so far failed to produce sufficiently robust and sophisticated conceptual treatments of place in today's 'globalising' world. In this paper we attempt to draw on a wide range of recent advances in social theory to begin constructing such a treatment. The paper has four parts. First, we criticise the legacy of object-oriented, Euclidean concepts of planning theory and practice, and their reliance on 'containered' views of space and time. Second, we construct a relational understanding of time, space and cities by drawing together four strands of recent social theory. These are : relational theories of urban time-space, dynamic conceptualisations of 'multiplex' places and cities, the 'new' urban and regional socio-economics, and emerging theories of social agency and institutional ordering. In the third section, we apply such perspectives to three worlds of planning practice : land use regulation, policy frameworks and development plans, and the development of 'customised spaces' in urban 'regeneration'. Finally, by way of conclusion, we suggest some pointers for practising planning in a relational way.
Vigar, Geoff, Stephen Graham, and Patsy Healey. "In search of the city in spa...Stephen Graham
Summary. This paper addresses the ways in which urban regions are represented in contemporary urban policies. In doing so, it critically examines how urban trends are reflected in diverse notions of ‘cityness’ in contemporary policy discourses about spatiality and territoriality. Through a detailed case study of the use and construction of the word ‘city’ in a range of urban governance contexts in Newcastle upon Tyne, this paper analyses the political work done by diverse representations and invocations of ‘cityness’ in contemporary urban governance. Such representations matter because the way in which contemporary cities are conceptualised influences policy formulations and policy outcomes. In addition, considerable emphasis is being placed in contemporary urban policy on ‘joining-up’, ‘integrating’ and co-ordinating governance efforts. How conceptions of the city are mobilised to do such integrating work provides insight into the challenge such ambitions present. The evidence from the case study suggests that the capacity of local actors to think about the processes of change in metropolitan regions, and to define the ways in which they can respond, is often limited, as they struggle to define what their ‘city’ actually might be these days. This tends to be to the detriment of collective attempts to maximise conditions for citizens and for investment.
Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour (ABC): The Science of the City
Naples, March 2016
Presentation by Luigi Fusco Girard
Background: the challenges
This Meeting
Some expected conclusions
What is the role of THEORY in Urbanism?Roberto Rocco
This is a presentation prepared for the course Methodology for Urbanism (Ar2U090) of the the TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture. In this presentation we discuss what is theory and why we need theories in Urbanism.
A B S T R A C T
This article aims at following the traces of the transformation of public sphere in Turkey through its manifestations on urban public spaces with the case study of Taksim Square. In this attempt, the article illustrates how Taksim square, as a public space, has been shaped by struggles between different ideologies, discourses, political decisions and daily activities taking place at personal, interpersonal, local, national, supranational and global scales. Through this way this article also aims at understanding how these contestations at different scales are affecting people, individually and collectively, from daily life practices to political integration. The article also discusses that our daily life practices and preferences are political decisions and our participation in public sphere occurs through those daily actions of the personal spheres. Therefore, the article suggests that a paradigm shift is needed in the design and production of the built environments that will facilitate the coexistence of multiple counter publics.
Discussion: The Future of the World is Mobile - Giorgia GiovannettiSTEPS Centre
By Giorgia Giovannetti, University of Firenze and Robert Schuman Centre, EUI. Given at EUI on 10 April 2019.
https://steps-centre.org/event/the-future-of-the-world-is-mobile-what-can-we-learn-from-pastoralists/
Retheorizing the "Urbanization of Capital": 200 Years of Evidence from DetroitDavid Bieri
This research investigates how the evolution of finance and the process of urbanization concurrently give rise to different notions of cyclical risk that are coupled to metropolitan form. Specifically, I illustrate the spatial consequences of the political economy of the U.S. monetary-financial system, paying particular attention to the historical process by which institutional risk allocation failures have shaped urban development in Detroit. The city and its suburbs arose, in part, because building at the city's edge was deemed risk-free and cheap -- a natural extension of the frontier mentality codified in the convex bid-rent curves of the monocentric city model. Specifically, this research proposes a new financial-spatial narrative that links a historicized reading of Detroit's rise and decline to Michigan's turbulent financial history over the last 200 years: First, Detroit emerges as a stereotype of land-capital dynamics. Its rise and fall are largely driven by successive waves of overaccumulation and speculative real estate development. Second, Michigan's financial history is a prototype of financial instability. The institutional origins of financial instability and banking-led crises in Michigan can be found in its 1830s legislative embrace of free banking. Detroit was at the epicenter of the 1933 banking crisis and is today setting precedent for municipal bankruptcy. Third, the Detroit metro area can be read as an archetype of frontier finance; as the financial frontier moves across time and space, different “zones of exclusion” emerge in the form of mortgage speculation, large scale vacancies, financial illiteracy and underbanked sections of the population.
Graham, Stephen, and Patsy Healey. "Relational concepts of space and place: i...Stephen Graham
This paper seeks to conceptualise and explore the changing relationships between planning action and practice and the dynamics of place. It argues that planning practice is grappling with new treatments of place, based on dynamic, relational constructs, rather than the Euclidean, deterministic, and one-dimensional treatments inherited from the 'scientific' approaches of the 1960s and early 1970s. But such emerging planning practices remain poorly served by planning theory which has so far failed to produce sufficiently robust and sophisticated conceptual treatments of place in today's 'globalising' world. In this paper we attempt to draw on a wide range of recent advances in social theory to begin constructing such a treatment. The paper has four parts. First, we criticise the legacy of object-oriented, Euclidean concepts of planning theory and practice, and their reliance on 'containered' views of space and time. Second, we construct a relational understanding of time, space and cities by drawing together four strands of recent social theory. These are : relational theories of urban time-space, dynamic conceptualisations of 'multiplex' places and cities, the 'new' urban and regional socio-economics, and emerging theories of social agency and institutional ordering. In the third section, we apply such perspectives to three worlds of planning practice : land use regulation, policy frameworks and development plans, and the development of 'customised spaces' in urban 'regeneration'. Finally, by way of conclusion, we suggest some pointers for practising planning in a relational way.
Vigar, Geoff, Stephen Graham, and Patsy Healey. "In search of the city in spa...Stephen Graham
Summary. This paper addresses the ways in which urban regions are represented in contemporary urban policies. In doing so, it critically examines how urban trends are reflected in diverse notions of ‘cityness’ in contemporary policy discourses about spatiality and territoriality. Through a detailed case study of the use and construction of the word ‘city’ in a range of urban governance contexts in Newcastle upon Tyne, this paper analyses the political work done by diverse representations and invocations of ‘cityness’ in contemporary urban governance. Such representations matter because the way in which contemporary cities are conceptualised influences policy formulations and policy outcomes. In addition, considerable emphasis is being placed in contemporary urban policy on ‘joining-up’, ‘integrating’ and co-ordinating governance efforts. How conceptions of the city are mobilised to do such integrating work provides insight into the challenge such ambitions present. The evidence from the case study suggests that the capacity of local actors to think about the processes of change in metropolitan regions, and to define the ways in which they can respond, is often limited, as they struggle to define what their ‘city’ actually might be these days. This tends to be to the detriment of collective attempts to maximise conditions for citizens and for investment.
On 13 February 2017, the Urban Transformations programme, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), brought together a range of academics and practitioners from across Europe for a knowledge exchange event on urban living labs and smart cities. The University of Oxford convened the event, working with the European Regions Research & Innovation Network (ERRIN) and the workshop took place at one of ERRIN’s members, the Delegation of the Basque Country to the EU. This was the second in a series entitled Bridging European Urban Transformations established in partnership with the VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and its Brussels Centre for Urban Studies. In this post-Brexit era, cooperation across borders and disciplines seems more important than ever before. Consequently the series, which runs from November 2016 to October 2017, emphasises the value of connections between institutions and key players in the field of urban transformations in the UK and in the rest of Europe.
This paper is a report on the recent special session of papers presented at the Regional Studies Association (RSA) Annual Conference in Dublin, entitled ‘Beyond Smart & Data-Driven City-Regions: Rethinking Stakeholder-Helixes Strategies’. The session was a collaboration between the Urban Transformations ESRC programme at the University of Oxford and the Future Cities Catapult.
A series of graphics from integralMENTORS integral UrbanHub work on IMP and Thriveable Cities
These books show the graphics from a dynamic deck that accompany a presentation on Visions & WorldViews and Thriveable Cities. The history of the co-evolution of cities, evolving WorldViews, Visions & Mindsets in Urban Habitats and technology is presented in an integral framework.
Integral theory is simply explained as it relates to these themes see UH 2 & UH 3 for more detail.
These volumes are part of an ongoing series of guides to integrally inform practitioners.
Although there is no consensus on the definition of the peri-urban interface, there is growing recognition among development professionals and insti-tutions that rural and urban features tend increasingly to co-exist within cities and beyond their limits. There is also recognition that the urban–rural dichotomy that is deeply ingrained in planning systems is inadequate for dealing with processes of environmental and developmental change in the peri-urban context. This paper argues that environmental planning and management of the peri-urban interface cannot simply be based on the extrapolation of planning approaches and tools applied in rural and urban areas. Instead, it needs to be based on the construc-tion of an approach that responds to the specific environment, social, economic and institutional aspects of the peri-urban interface. The paper also outlines approaches to environmental planning and management in the peri-urban interface, examin-ing its specificity in terms of both the challenges faced and possible approaches for implementation
The enhancement of small historic centresVIVA_EAST
The enhancement of small historic centres: integration between urban and landscape quality
Authors: Authors: Francesco Selicato, Francesco Rotondo, Pierangela Loconte, Claudia Piscitelli
BIS LEPs and RGF inquiry pugalis bentley gibbons shuttLee Pugalis
The evidence summarised in this submission is based on the national research project: From Regionalism to Localism: Cross Country LEPs. The aim of this research is to monitor what steps are being taken by LEPs to support businesses to create jobs and support the development of local economies. The research explores the issues arising from the formation of the LEPs over their first three years, 2010-2013 and is monitoring the journey of the LEPs nationally. LEPs are the chief vehicle for economic development within the context of localism but are delivering national level initiatives, such as Enterprise Zones. Indeed, they have been set a considerable challenge – uniting business, public and community interests in a way that enables the economic regeneration and growth of local places. The research drills-down to focus on four particular ‘regions’: the North East; Yorkshire and the Humber; the West Midlands and the South West. Some of the project team’s initial and emerging research outputs are appended to this submission.
New directions in economic development localism act bentley and pugalisLee Pugalis
Since entering office in 2010, a distinct grammar of localism has pervaded the UK Government’s philosophical outlook, which has inflected localist policy discourses and practice. Now that the Coalition administration’s ‘local’ economic development policy is becoming a little clearer, it is timely to consider the implications of this new grammar for the scope, organisation and mobilisation of economic development interventions. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to trace new and emergent directions in economic development through a focus on the 2011 Localism Act, which applies to England and Wales. The paper interprets these changes through a localist conceptual prism, which helps to refract different varieties of localism. The findings raise some serious concerns regarding localism in action and expose the controlling tendencies of central government. Analysis is also directed towards the uneasy relationship between centralised powers, conditional decentralisation and fragmented localism. Nevertheless, some cases of emergent practice are utilised to demonstrate how ‘constrained freedoms’ can be negotiated to undertake innovative actions. The paper concludes by suggesting some foundational elements that would support the notion of ‘empowered localities’ and may also secure the government’s imperative to enable private sector-led growth.
Key words
2011 Localism Act, local economic development, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Economic Prosperity Boards, Combined Authorities
Bentley, G. & Pugalis, L. (2013) 'New directions in economic development: localist policy discourses and the Localism Act', Local Economy
2012 After Regions: what next for LEPs - Pugalis and ShuttLee Pugalis
Standing out as an oddity in comparison to the convergence of policy across EU nations whereby the merits of regional apparatus – however defined – for administering development support appear to be accepted, the UK Government has abandoned England’s experiment with regionalism. Under the banner of localism, providing the thinnest of masks for swingeing public expenditure cuts, sub-national development activity (encompassing planning, regeneration, infrastructure development, enterprise support and spatial leadership) is in the throes of considerable economic shifts, policy flux and institutional upheaval (Ward & Hardy, 2012).
This article attempts to address some of the questions posed in The regional lacuna: a preliminary map of the transition from Regional Development Agencies to Local Economic Partnerships (Pugalis, 2011) and helps to advance some of the points relating to the emerging sub-national development landscape published in recent issues of Regions (e.g. Bailey, 2011). The purpose is to take stock of policy developments underway by means of a post-regional sub-national review in order to outline the future development trajectory of Local Enterprise Partnerships.
2009 SNR a story of compromise - pugalisLee Pugalis
The eagerly anticipated Government response to the Treasury instigated Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration (July 2007), was published on 25 November 2008 after taking stock of the 500 plus consultation responses. Building on my critique of the Department of Communities and Local Government’s publication: Transforming places; changing lives A framework for regeneration (July 2008) in the previous edition of this journal, I use the space here to cogently review how Government will take forward and implement its sub-national review of economic development and regeneration (SNR).
Pugalis, L. (2009) 'SNR – a story of compromise', Economic Development, 107, pp. 6-7.
The dreaded phrase; the ‘credit crunch’ has infiltrated vernacular speak. For one who is charged with the (unenviable) remit of managing a rapidly contracting local economy in the North East of England, this only became apparent when a young relative of mine, not long out of nappies, told me that she was not allowed a new toy, and was thus saving her “pennies, because of the credit crunch”. The crunch has transformed into an economic recession that is real: affecting you, me and even my younger cousin Hannah. What began as a banking crisis during the summer of 2007 following the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgage market has subsequently led to an international tightening of fiscal transfers and a lack of confidence in global stock markets. In autumn 2008, the strength of the financial system was tested further with a severe collapse of confidence. Only massive liquidity support by central banks and rescue packages engaged by national and supranational governments have (so far) staved off a systemic financial meltdown. Consequently, what started as a crisis in the financial sector continues to affect the ‘real’ everyday economy. Initial projections that financial capitals, such as London, would feel the brunt and peripheral towns and cities, such as Durham, with less employees in the banking sector would be sheltered are now proving way off mark.
As practitioners, policy-makers and politicians continue to operate in such fragile economic conditions, questions are being asked in relation to responding to the crunch and planning for the upturn. Indeed, a Government colleague contacted me at work the other day in a rush to gather some intelligence on ‘what local authorities are doing to respond to the recession’. Apparently, a Minister had been getting ‘quite vocal that he isn’t hearing about what local authorities are doing and so we’re compiling evidence of what we are doing to help people at the current time’. So in addition to supplying information about what I was doing on behalf of Durham County Council and the County Durham Economic Partnership, I decided to initiate a fact finding mission of what others are doing within the North East and further afield.
2009 a cost in planning for prosperous economies - pugalis and martinLee Pugalis
The new draft PPS4 exudes the desperation born of a harsh economic climate and appears to invite short-term fixes rather than long-term sustainable growth, say Lee Pugalis and Glenn Martin
In her foreword Margaret Beckett, then Minister for Housing and Planning, argued that ‘for the first time, this comprehensive new draft statement brings together in one place all of the Government’s key planning policies relating to the economy and streamlines and simplifies policy to focus on what is important to allow the economy to grow in a sustainable manner’. But if we scratch under the surface, does the revised draft lives up to its own hype, or is there a cost to Planning for Prosperous Economies?
2008 regeneration through place quality the case of seven stories - pugalisLee Pugalis
Through the case of a flagship place quality development; Seven Stories in Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley, the only physical centre for children’s literature in the UK and one of only a handful of such cultural spaces worldwide, this paper reports on its wider regenerative capacity. The Seven Stories redevelopment is a juxtaposition of careful refurbishment and novel contemporary design that has generated a ‘glocal designscape’ with the intention of creating a ‘tourist space’ to anchor the economic regeneration of East Newcastle. The case is made that isolated place quality enhancements are insufficient to regenerate wider areas and may result in diminishing returns as the initial ‘wow’ factor dissipates, but nevertheless they can constitute vital pieces of a more holistic regeneration jigsaw.
Pugalis, L. (2008) 'Regeneration through place quality: the case of Seven Stories - The Centre for Children's Books', Urban Research & Practice, 1 (3), pp. 324-328.
2008 a framework for regeneration more questions than answers - pugalisLee Pugalis
A recent consultation report from the Department of Communities and Local Government which goes by the rhetorical title of, Transforming places; changing lives A framework for regeneration, goes some way to laying the groundwork for proposals first set out in the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR). The framework proclaims to set out ‘an ambitious package of proposals – for consultation – that aim to shape the way that regeneration is carried out in future in England’. Yet upon reading the report’s 159 pages one is left with a strange feeling of déjà vu. This is followed by a suspicion that much of what Government are suggesting is already a done deal; with many economic development officers and policy-makers already busy working on the package of proposals. I shall briefly summarise the key measures of the framework before questioning the timing of this consultation in light of the determination of regional funding allocations.
Pugalis, L. (2008) 'A framework for regeneration: more questions than answers', The Journal of the Institution of Economic Development, (106), pp. 7.
2010 Can LEPs fill the strategic void? - pugalis and townsendLee Pugalis
For the first time since 1947, England is without a recognised strategic planning framework following the revocation of Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs). Articles in the June and July/August issues of this journal have variously criticised the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government for opening up a ‘NIMBY charter’ and inviting ‘chaos’ through an ‘act now, think later’ policy approach of ‘rampaging through the English planning system’. By removing the layer of strategic planning in one fell swoop, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has left the planning fraternity to muddle through the mess. It is not our intent to retrace these arguments here. Instead we look, through a pragmatic lens, at the Coalition’s new policy innovation – the Local Enterprise Partnership – and consider how far this may go to filling the strategic void. We argue that there is a strong case for ‘the suggestion that Local Enterprise Partnerships may fulfil a planning function’, as currently being examined by the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) Inquiry into the Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies. However, as we sketch out a role for planning in the Government’s economic transition plan, we draw attention to several potential pitfalls along the way.
Community-led regeneration is a laudable ideal, but unless the means of enabling the regeneration of distressed communities are put in place, many could be left facing further degeneration, deprivation and destitution
2009 a conceptual and analytical framework for interpreting the spatiality ...Lee Pugalis
This paper provides a framework for understanding the phenomenon of the discursive-material production of space, and also, for considering how unknowns may be organised. Language is instrumental to the production of place but has been overshadowed by investigations of material transformations. This is partly being redressed by the ‘linguistic turn’ in urban policy analysis over recent decades which recognise the performative aspects of language. However, the methodological ‘gap’ between discursivities and materialities remains as too often analysis of urban policy discourse has taken an aspatial analytic approach. Representations of space cannot be divorced from spatial practices and vice versa. Based on my premise that many visions, plans and strategies never materialise, and even some that do materialise have little bearing on what is produced, a mixed-method approach is required that considers the recursive interactions between spatial practices and representations of space. Grounded in the theories of Henri Lefebvre and Michel Foucault, which conceptualis space as a social process and broaden discourse to embrace spatial practice respectively, I devise a conceptual and operational analytics which I refer to as interpretive-spatial analysis with the goal of helping to bridge the problematic ontological, epistemological and methodological divide between discursivities and materialities.
2011 network interference - pugalis and gibbonsLee Pugalis
September 2011 saw the inaugural meeting of the government-backed national network for local enterprise partnerships. Lee Pugalis and Lorna Gibbons ask: how does a ‘top-down’ network support ‘bottom-up’ LEPs?
2010 its all about place shaping - pugalisLee Pugalis
Place shaping has now entered the everyday vocabulary of built environment professions, academics and the public sector at large. This struck me when leafing through the job vacancies in a well known British regeneration industry publication as I happened to notice an advert for what appeared to be an innovative and exciting new spatial development role: Head of Place Shaping. I was curious about this role, particularly as I had just advertised for an economic development officer with a background in or enthusiasm for ‘place shaping’, so I started to investigate a little further.
2010 The incremental renaissance of the historic city of durhamLee Pugalis
The UK historic city of Durham is considered by policymakers to be the ‘jewel in the crown’ in terms of economic potential for a county that has struggled to find a niche role following the collapse of coalmining. Perceived through the eyes of a local practitioner, this paper takes a look at how a networked ensemble of actors are responding to the economic recession and planning for the upturn. The paper examines the role of place quality improvements administered through the delivery of a city masterplan to stitch together the historic city fabric with a contemporary urban aesthetic. Through the case of the (incremental) renaissance of Durham city, it is suggested that a sensitive multilayered development approach underpinned by deliberative democracy is required that responds to the needs of everyday users and local inhabitants.
2012 the cultural life of public spaces - pugalisLee Pugalis
Within a UK context of radical policy reform and broader global economic shifts, the homogenisation of public space and the decimation of cultural life are leading-edge issues of contemporary concern. Drawing on empirics from a broader research project, this paper reports on the (ongoing) production of public spaces and extracts some pointers for practice pertaining to planning for their cultural life. Underutilisation, temporal dimensions and perceptions of urban quality are analysed, before tentatively considering future directions. Multi-stakeholder coproduction is put forward as a potentially fruitful mode of working.
2012 au revoir regions where now for eu funding - pugalis and fisherLee Pugalis
The Coalition Government’s rejection of regions, understood here as a spatial unit for managing sub-national development activity, remains politically and spatially ‘out of synch’ with EU regional policy. It is within this context that some important policy and delivery quandaries arise within and across the former English regions.
This article reviews the current condition of regeneration policy in England – set against to the views of the Select Committee, those submitting evidence to it, the Government’s response to its findings, and comparison with the Scottish Government’s new regeneration strategy, set out in Achieving a Sustainable Future3 – and considers whether it is fit for purposej
2011- English regions disbanded: European funding and economic regeneration i...Lee Pugalis
Abstract
The investiture of a UK Coalition Government in 2010 heralded the (ongoing) production of new sub-national geographies of governance in England. Of primary concern is the disbanding of the English regions, outside of London, which were New Labour’s preferred scale for ‘managing’ economic regeneration during the 2000s. In a bid to rollback the role of the state as part of their deficit reduction plan, the Coalition embarked on a political rescaling strategy resulting in various institutional reconfigurations. This rescaling of state power has significant policy implications in the context of European funding, which is the focus of this paper. By analysing a field of policy activity during a period of significant motion, the intent is to highlight some notable dilemmas, aided by posing some practical questions; in order to prompt some much needed policy discussion and academic deliberation.
Pugalis, L. & Fisher, B. (2011) 'English regions disbanded: European funding and economic regeneration implications', Local Economy, 26 (6/7), pp. 500-516.
2011 a renewed right to urban life - pugalis and giddingsLee Pugalis
Abstract
This paper is concerned with how space is socially produced and the vigorous struggles that this process entails. Critically engaging with some different readings of Henri Lefebvre’s spatial notion of the “right to the city” we contemplate its radical potency to reconstitute a renewed right to urban life. We argue that the right to the city – trialectically interpreted as a theoretical concept, call for action and cry – has substantial contemporary relevance and import, extending to spatial practitioners such as architects. This conclusion is reached by exploring the neoliberal imperative to conquer space, grappling with the issue of social justice as a means to decipher who (re)produces the city and in what particular ways. Highly visible strategies are contrasted with some less visible counter-practices, by developing a conceptual framework that emphasises ACCESSING, BEING and PARTICIPATING in the city. We contend that “little victories”, offer locationally-specific insights into alternative methods of production, and pose some unsettling questions for architects.
Pugalis, L. & Giddings, B. (2011) 'A Renewed Right to Urban Life: A Twenty-First Century Engagement with Lefebvre’s Initial "Cry"', Architectural Theory Review, 16 (3), pp. 278-295.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
2012 evolutionary waves of place-shaping pre during and post recession - pugalis
1. The evolutionary ‘waves’ of place-shaping: pre, during and post
recession
Paper should be cited as:
Pugalis, L. (2011) 'The evolutionary „waves‟ of place-shaping: pre, during and post
recession', Journal of Town & City Management, 2 (3), pp. 263-279.
Abstract
This paper is concerned with the evolution of place-shaping over the past decade or so and its
potential future direction, specifically relating to a UK context but with varying aspects of
resonance internationally. The methodological approach and empirical originality is derived
from practitioner encounters synthesised with theory. Three „waves‟ of place-shaping are
discernable: renaissance, recession mitigation and recovery. Conceptualising and examining
the changing face of place-shaping practice, some broad place quality trends are identified.
Asserting that renaissance interventions were heavily skewed towards enhancing the material
aspects of city spaces it is suggested that recessions provide a useful interject to reflect on
past practice, rethink future policies and sharpen skills. It is within such a climate that
innovatory practice can flourish as (public, private and community) actors are challenged to
seek alternative ways of working. Questioning the wisdom of cuts in quality, the paper calls
for new ways of capturing place quality.
Key words: place-shaping, regeneration, urban renaissance, place quality, economic
recovery.
Introduction
The repercussions of the recent global credit crisis and the consequent austerity measures that
many governments around the world are pursuing make for „interesting times‟, to borrow
some practitioner parlance. Concomitantly, a Coalition Government secured national political
leadership in the UK in May, 2010, that has resulted in the palingenesis of some policy
1
2. strains relating to the shaping of places and the revocation of other policy directives. The
result is a radical shift in the ways that places are governed, funded and managed. For the
purpose of this paper the embracing notion of „place-shaping‟ is utilised. Since the Lyons
Inquiry into Local Government, 1 „place-shaping‟ has found favour with practitioners,
academics, politicians and public officials across the UK and Europe, 2 at least in terms of its
adoption in everyday policy speak, 3 yet the term is not new. 4, 5 Involving a diffuse array of
actors and organisational constellations, 6 it is necessary to first conceptualise the practice of
place-shaping.
Distinct from professionalised specialisms, which can lead to silo working arrangements, the
notion of place-shaping is applied in this paper in a manner that unites professional agents,
community actors and business interests who are actively and less actively engaged in the
emergent field of town and city management. Indeed, the practice and professionalisation of
town and city management is developing from an operational activity into more strategic
ventures, 7-9 which finds favour with adopting the holistic – yet understandably nebulous –
concept of place-shaping. Whether qualified planners, town centre wardens, accredited
surveyors, retailers, street cleaners or destination managers – each are willing actors in the
pursuit of shaping their place, but tend to pursue diverse goals. These goals are not always
complementary or congruent as modes of working are framed in different ways, influenced
by socio-culturally distinct understandings and interpretations of „what place-shaping is‟. It is
in this sense that Allen and Crookes identified and problematised the alignment of
professionalised views (and practices) with those held by „ordinary‟ residents. Further, they
argued that there is a tendency for „dominant‟ views to be imposed on „dominated‟
communities. 10
The „sphere of influence‟ of place-shaping stretches from a tightly defined urban area, such
as that covered by a Business Improvement Area or District that is local, 8 to a waterfront,
entire city, region, nation or a larger spatial terrain, such as the European Union. 11 It is thus a
concept pertinent across scales, but with different place-specific practical permutations owing
to the precise spatial frame adopted. Perhaps the mutability of the theory and practice of
place-shaping, in terms of refuting a single-lens view, lacking universal criteria or an inability
to pin it down with definitional precision, is why it is such a potentially powerful and useful
concept. By erasing the debilitating traditional professional divides and antagonistic public-
private-community demarcations, the place-shaping concept highlights the connections,
2
3. commonalities and intersects amongst different participants in the shaping of places. 4 It is an
approach to service delivery that seeks to blend social, economic, environmental and cultural
aspirations in a sustainable manner that meets the needs of the broader community, 3 as
distinct from developing solely for profitably. Place-shaping can therefore be understood as a
democratic endeavour. As Gallent and Wong articulate, place-shaping is „a shared endeavour,
influencing production flows and delivering outcomes, but also doing so in a way that is
sensitive to the peculiarities of place and the diverse aspirations of communities‟ (Pg 358). 5
Real life is ephemeral: you cannot play it back. A CD can reproduce „perfect‟ sound or the
TV a perfect image, yet the live, whether walking down the street or going to an event, adds
qualitatively different experiences including, for example, a sense of occasion rather than
pure consumption, or of public engagement rather than private indulgence. 12 The purposeful
and less purposeful process of shaping places engages with the lived (social) dimension of
being in place, 13 and thus, steps back from (but not completely outside of) technocratic
regulations and systems. It is the processual property of „place-shaping‟ that distinguishes it
from „place-making‟, which is arguably more deterministic and focussed on the end-product.
Recognising the interrelations between process and product, the act of plan shaping is
perhaps more pertinent than that of plan drafting and plan making. Based on this theorisation
of place-shaping, place quality can be viewed as the supportive tissue: more than a backdrop
to life experiences, but an active component. Place quality is a constituent factor in the
shaping of places that enriches social experiences and economic interactions.
This paper is concerned with the evolution of place-shaping over the past decade or so,
specifically relating to a UK context but with varying aspects of resonance internationally.
The methodological approach and empirical originality is derived from the author‟s
practitioner encounters and understandings over the past decade, including stints as a civil
servant (at the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Government Office for London),
quango employee (representing One North East Regional Development Agency), researcher
(based at Newcastle University), and more recently a local government officer (serving
Durham County Council). These roles have transgressed the professional divides of planning,
urban design, regeneration and economic development to offer a unique insight into the
recent evolution of place-shaping and its potential future direction. The paper draws on the
author‟s direct experience negotiating the implementation and management of place-shaping
endeavours (e.g. visioning, community participation, deal-making, formal processes, funding
3
4. arrangements, political oversight etc.), synthesised with theoretical literature, to discern three
„waves‟ of place-shaping: renaissance, recession mitigation and recovery. Conceptualising
and examining the changing face of place-shaping practice, some broad place quality trends
are identified. Commencing with a brief review of the UK‟s „urban renaissance‟ agenda since
the late 1990s, the paper goes onto examine the changing face of practice brought about by
the onset of global economic turmoil in 2007 and more recently the election of a
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government. Asserting that renaissance
interventions were heavily skewed towards enhancing the material aspects of city spaces it is
suggested that recessions provide a useful interject to reflect on past practice, rethink future
policies and sharpen skills. It is within such a climate that innovatory practice can flourish as
(public, private and community) actors are challenged to seek alternative ways of working.
As the wisdom of cuts in quality is questioned, the paper calls for new ways of capturing
place quality.
New Labour’s ‘urban renaissance’ agenda
Following persistent decline for a number of decades, UK employment in manufacturing
rapidly collapsed during the 1980s; a process of deindustrialisation that unfolded across much
of Western Europe and other so-called „developed‟ countries. Towns and cities bore the brunt
of this economic deterioration as they had the highest concentrations of industrial jobs that
tended to be located in some of the oldest factories unsuitable for modernisation, and likewise
with respect to production techniques and outmoded infrastructure. 14 There was a prevailing
view that British towns and cities were „run-down and unkempt‟, 15 which was mirrored in
other countries, such as Germany and the US. 16 Some of those British places considered to
be in urgent need of revitalisation, included the former industrial heartlands of the North and
Midlands. As Tony Blair‟s „New‟ Labour entered the fray in 1997 they quickly set about
reconstituting and rebranding the Thatcher-Major Conservative policy framework of the
1980s and 1990s. 17 The Conservative‟s place-shaping strategy over this period focussed on a
laissez-faire planning approach supporting privatisation and entrepreneurialism through state
centralism, including the deployment of state apparatus, such as Urban Development
Corporations. 18, 19 A notable spatial implication was the proliferation of „big box‟ greenfield
developments, 20 such as retail parks, which had a less than positive impact on the social life
and commercial vitality of more accustomed town and city centres. 21 Signifying a
continuation of the Conservative‟s neoliberal place-shaping policy but also a departure, New
4
5. Labour implemented a place-shaping strategy with a spatial focus on stimulating
consumption activities to help revitalise deteriorating urban centres (such place-shaping
interventions have been practiced globally. See for example Adelaide, 22 Bangkok 23 and
Toronto 24). Notably, the geography of Labour‟s spatially discriminate strategy, largely
mirrored the former manufacturing areas and industrial heartlands, concentrated in the North
and Midlands, reflective of local communities with strong Labour political ties. The political
imperatives underpinning Labour‟s centralised regional approach to the shaping of places
were supported by an Urban Task Force chaired by the celebrated „starchitect‟ 25 Lord
Richard Rogers that brought together a cast of leading British place-shapers. The Task Force
published the landmark document; Towards an Urban Renaissance in 1999, which proposed
over 100 recommendations to improve the future sustainability of urban spaces, and thus
quality of life. 15 At the heart of these recommendations was a (European-inspired) vision of:
well designed, compact and connected cities supporting a diverse range of uses –
where people live, work and enjoy leisure time at close quarters – in a sustainable
urban environment well integrated with public transport and adaptable to change.
Stimulated by project tours to cities, such as Barcelona, the Urban Task Force advocated
mixed-uses, increased urban densities and design excellence, which comprised key strands of
Towards an Urban Renaissance, underpinning what this paper refers to as „a call for place
quality‟. Distilling the Urban Task Force‟s renaissance ambitions is perhaps captured by the
„Mars bar effect‟ where urban spaces become the centre of „work, rest and play‟ (see Lees 26
and Punter 27 for a more detailed review). Towards an Urban Renaissance was the report that
sought to reveal a path for urban areas to make the journey from an industrial-based economy
to a so-called post-industrial spatial economy, where retail, 28, 29 culture 30 and knowledge 31,
32
were perceived to be some of the principal (place-quality) drivers. The renaissance
narrative had a plot supported by evocative descriptors, including „sustainability‟, „diversity‟
and „community‟, but their practical translation was highly contested and implementation
fraught with difficulties. 26
The evolutionary ‘waves’ of UK place-shaping policy (post-1997)
New Labour‟s approach to place-shaping was symptomatic of their Third Way philosophy: 33-
35
a synthesis of neoliberal imperatives together with democratic state intervention that
5
6. espoused to put local communities in the driving seat. 36 These dual agendas and distinct
ideologies are potentially complementary, but also contradictory. Indeed the design-led urban
renaissance agenda was characterised by an uneasy relationship between neoliberal and
neocommunitarian ideals – exchange values versus use values. Depending on one‟s social
status may dictate whether one views the renaissance brand of place-shaping as a „success‟,
with proponents pointing towards social „mixing‟ and new designscapes, whilst detractors
highlight social „cleansing‟ and gentrification through the design of exclusive enclaves of
consumption or gated development schemes. 37-41 See Table 1 for a summary of the recent
evolutionary „waves‟ of place-shaping policy in the UK.
Table 1: Evolutionary ‘waves’ of place-shaping policy
Time scale 1997-2007 2007-2009 2010-*
Policy wave Renaissance Recession mitigation Recovery
Political Labour Labour Conservative-Liberal
regime Democrat Coalition
Policy Urban renaissance; Stimulus support; rapid- Big Society; local solutions,
narrative and sustainability, diversity and response teams, re-skilling permissive policy,
descriptors community and access to finance incentivised development
and enabling enterprise
Political Third Way Keynesianism Anti-interventionist
ideology corporatism Localism
Key actors Local authority-led The state Communities and
partnerships Public sector-led businesses
QUANGOs partnerships Local and Sub-Regional
Local authorities Partnerships
QUANGOs Local authorities
Scalar modes National National National
of working Regional Regional Sub-regional
Neighbourhood Sub-regional Local
Neighbourhood
Temporal Longer-term schemes „Quick wins‟ and short- Short to medium term
horizon term projects
Primary Regional Assemblies Regional Leaders‟ Boards Local Enterprise
governance Local Strategic Partnerships City Regions Partnerships (LEPs)
entities City Regions Multi-Area Agreements Neighbourhood Forums
(MAAs)
Delivery Urban Regeneration City Development LEPs
vehicles Companies (URCs) Companies (CDCs) Economic Development
Companies (EDCs)
Place-shaping Regional Development RDAs HCA
enablers Agencies (RDAs) Homes and Communities
English Partnerships (EP) Agency (HCA)
Major funding Single Programme Single Programme Regional Growth Fund
programmes New Deal for Working Neighbourhoods (RGF)
Communities (NDC) Funds (WNF)
Place quality Commission for CABE HCA
champions Architecture and the Built The Academy for Place-shaping partnerships
Environment (CABE) Sustainable Communities
The Academy for (ASC)
6
7. Sustainable Communities
(ASC)
Regional Centres of
Excellence for Sustainable
Communities
Place-shaping Business Improvement Eco-design Community coproduction,
innovations Districts (BIDs) and Asset-backed regeneration service delivery and
strategic place management ownership
operations Tax Increment Financing
Design Codes (TIFs) and other financial
Masterplanning instruments
Sustainability tools Neighbourhood
Design Review Panels development orders
(including community right
to build orders)
Successes+ Urban facelifts, place Utilising empty-shops for Incremental design and
rebranding, flagship cultural practices and development more sensitive
regeneration schemes and community uses to local context
cultural attractions Community-led place-
Mixed-use environments shaping across well
Re-use of brownfield sites mobilised communities
and abandoned buildings
Shared spaces
Failures+ Growing socio-spatial Undeliverable regeneration Uncoordinated market-
inequalities, partially schemes and design visions skewed interventions
masked by urban facelifts Mothballed development Strategic place-shaping
Delivering sustainable projects void
communities, integrated Empty new-build schemes Business displacement
transport hubs and realising and mixed-use projects resulting from Enterprise
mixed communities with „unlettable‟ Zone policy
„Clone towns‟ and erosion commercial space NIMBYism – resistance to
of spatial distinctiveness almost all development
Gentrification and across some well mobilised
displacement of those uses communities
and users deemed to be Unwanted development
„marginal‟ disproportionately located
in less well mobilised and
deprived communities
Broad spatial Design-led regeneration in Empty shops and More pronounced spatial
trends many town and city centres, commercial units in urban demarcations between the
exemplified by renaissance centres, particularly acute have lots and have nots
of Northern „core cities‟ in „marginal places‟ Urban blandscapes
Pullulation of cultural Saturation of small city-
quarters and districts, centre apartments
together with a „pop-up‟
craze of galleries, coffee
shops, clubs and restaurants
in edge-of-centre,
waterfronts and former
industrial areas of cities
Policy impact Urban centre living and Urban tourist centres More frenzied place
on repopulation supporting „staycations‟ competition between
urban centres Extended spaces of leisure Conversion of commercial neighbouring urban centres
and consumption space for alternative uses Retrenching spaces of
More temporal variety Unoccupied ground floor leisure and consumption in
including evening economy commercial units in some urban centres off the
New and reconfigured supposedly mixed-used tourist and investor radar
public spaces developments Diversification of land-uses
Over-managed space Zombie sites Rationalising of public
sector property portfolios,
7
8. including out-of-centre
relocations and provision of
shared services
* The features of the recovery wave of place-shaping should be viewed tentatively as they subject to change and
evolve.
+ Some „successes‟ and „failures‟ are interchangeable dependent on one‟s situated vantage and value
framework.
More recently the policy framework guiding the shaping of places, and in particular urban
regeneration, evolved from renaissance to recession mitigation. Whilst still under the
stewardship of a Labour Government, the Sub-National Review of Economic Development
and Regeneration (SNR) laid out a new policy-architecture for stimulating urban
competitiveness. 42, 43 By way of SNR, Labour set out a key role for Regional Development
Agencies (RDAs) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) (both non-departmental
public bodies), alongside local authorities, as each jostled for position in governing and
„managing‟ the shaping of places. 6 But perhaps more importantly, the tumultuous economic
climate brought about by the global credit crunch created a situation where mitigating the
impacts during a volatile economic downturn was deemed paramount. Arguably, longer-term
visions, design consciousness and sustainability factors were significantly marginalised
during the 2007 to 2009 economic upheavals as state-led crisis management was the
predominant mode of practice. The emphasis on physical „flagship‟ regeneration schemes 20,
44, 45
during the renaissance wave promptly shifted to economic (business) and social (people)
Keynesianism support packages, intended to stimulate demand. The recession mitigation
wave of place-shaping can therefore be characterised as being reactive: possessing a shorter-
term focus on tackling the symptoms of global economic turmoil and managing the most
visible spatial manifestations, such as empty shops and large-scale redundancies. With a
Coalition Government taking over the UK political-reins in 2010, an „Emergency‟ Budget
was issued in June 2010; setting out a five-year plan to rebuild (and rebalance) the British
economy. 46 Enabling local growth through an incentivised regime underpinned by a
determined presumption in favour of economic development is the Coalition‟s central
objective (see Pugalis 47-49 for further discussion). As a result, whilst the precise nature of the
next wave of place-shaping is unclear, it is expected to focus on striving to achieve a
sustained economic recovery. However, what this may entail is a matter of heated debate and
8
9. speculation, see for example Coaffee. 50 It remains to be seen whether the Coalition‟s brand
of place-shaping will be associated with their declared anti-interventionist Localism political
ideology (often expressed through the „Big Society‟ idiom). The Big Society concept
espouses a move away from „big government‟ and central control towards locally targeted
services delivered by communities themselves. State „seed‟ funding is intended to unleash a
mosaic of local action through partnership working and cooperatives, 51 although the practical
application of this theory is likely to prove challenging, particularly in the context of sizeable
public funding cuts exceeding 25 percent. 52 More critical interpretations of the Big Society
consider it to be a smokescreen for privatisation, and the concomitant dismantling of the
public sector and withdrawal of state support.
The changing face of UK place-shaping practice
Whilst many of the Urban Task Force‟s recommendations were never realised, acted upon or
implemented, 53 their design-led „quality counts‟ stance had a noticeable impact on the
shaping of UK cities and city spaces, including:
„Brownfield‟ site redevelopment and urban densification
Public realm and streetscape enhancements
Provision of new urban public spaces
The repopulating of city centres with residents, tourists and consumers
Public transport and infrastructure investment
Leveraging greater amounts of private capital
Iconic development, cultural attractions and mixed-use schemes
Many Northern – former industrial – cities provide tangible „evidence‟ of such an urban
renaissance, or at least in the case of their public facing city centres, gateway sites and other
choice places. It is a renaissance that Lees describes as „medicine for urban malaise‟. 26
Notable examples include the „core cities‟ of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool (see Figure
1). The latter, for example, has undergone the type of renaissance advocated by the Urban
Task Force leading the Core Cities Working Group to proclaim that „Our Cities are Back‟. 54
Yet, whilst many of these urban makeovers delivered a diverse range of uses, enhanced
placed quality and often pioneered innovative designs, some, as in the case of the Liverpool
9
10. One place-shaping scheme, privatised space and along with it eroded local distinctiveness. In
doing so, some would argue that the diversity of users has been cleansed along with the
buildings and urban social space (see, for example, Minton). 37 The result is a remarkable air
of sameness, often curtailing some rights to the city (i.e. use) in favour of others (i.e.
exchange). The streetscapes (see Figure 2), shopping malls, public art (see Figure 3),
retailers, entertainment and dancing fountains, which are almost de rigueur (see Figure 4),
may project cleanliness, comfort and security; providing the feeling that one is „close to
home‟ due to internationally recognised retailers, branding and symbols. More depressingly,
however, many of these new and reconfigured urban spaces are designing-in homogeneity
and managing-out urbanity. It is in this sense that the UK‟s renaissance wave of place-
shaping has saddled many towns and cities with an urban aesthetic remarkably similar to
other international „competitors‟.
Figure 1. Liverpool’s city centre renaissance
10
11. Figure 2. A shopping district in Stockton emblematic of the renaissance wave
11
13. Figure 4. Dancing fountains, Sunderland: an example of the UK’s contemporary design
fascination with urban water-features
The UK‟s espoused urban renaissance took place in the „good times‟; riding on the cusp of
urban prosperity and macroeconomic stability. Renaissance schemes during this period
(1997-2007) tended to be:
Speculative, due to easy credit conditions with financing readily available on the open
market
Skewed to the needs and desires of consumers and an image-conscious consumer-
based and experiential economy, which led to an explosion in the development of new
infrastructure such as stadiums, venues, convention centres and hotels
Supported by generous public financial support (i.e. state aid), including „gap‟
funding, site remediation, investment in infrastructure and public realm
improvements, together with other „sunk‟ costs
13
14. So during the good times; developers, investors and speculators were actively encouraged by
way of public policy-inducements to cherry-pick spaces of foremost (commercial) choice to
reshape, which are now hailed as beacons that an urban renaissance was delivered. Similar
trends were apparent across many other „advanced‟ and „developing‟ countries, particularly
those cities attempting to rebrand, such as Oslo, where the opening of its iconic Opera House
in 2008 has provided a cultural anchor and national symbol. 55, 56 Yet it is worth noting that
many renaissance programmes tended to be socio-spatially discriminatory, 40, 41 opportunistic,
16, 27, 57
and security conscious. 38, 58 Often „over-managed‟ spaces of consumption, liable to
„mange-out‟ non-consumers; renaissance interventions were heavily skewed towards
enhancing the material aspects of places, frequently to the profuse neglect of social
considerations.
Emerging in late 2007 – with what began as a local phenomenon in the US sub-prime
mortgage market – the „credit crunch‟ subsequently impacted the real economy on a global
scale. Whilst the affects have been variable, few places across the world were unscathed.
Impacts were particularly pronounced in some European countries, such as, Ireland, Portugal
and Greece, with each requiring „bail-outs‟ from organisations including the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank. Whereas in the US, despite the
nationalisation of some credit institutions (e.g. „Fannie Mae‟ and „Freddie Mac‟ mortgage
companies), approaching 1 million households were grappling with the foreclosure process
towards the end of 2009.
In the final quarter of 2009, the UK emerged from the grips of its worst recession since the
1920s, which had inflicted a whole host of socio-economic ramifications, including rising
unemployment and homelessness, fuel poverty and significant business closures, each with
pronounced spatial implications. 59 Although economists cautiously pointed to signs of an
emergent economic recovery in 2010, more peripheral places, including many of the former
industrial heartlands, are expected to take much longer to return to the economic highs of
mid-2007. In terms of place quality, many areas are pockmarked by „zombie sites‟ –
dilapidated, disused and with a negative residual value and thus little scope for delivery – that
act as urban detractors (see Figure 5). In many respects, zombie sites are visual indicators that
an urban renaissance was only ever partially implemented. The frequency of zombie sites
also provides clues as to the spatiality of the urban renaissance wave of place-shaping and its
discriminatory tendencies. Whilst zombie sites can be identified across many urban areas,
14
15. they are predominantly located in the UK‟s de-industrialised places. Yet, these sites pale in
significance compared to the ghost towns, characteristic across some new-build residential
estates in Ireland, 60 and wholesale urban abandonment across some US towns and
neighbourhoods. 61
Figure 5. A ‘Zombie’ site in a Northern town centre
15
16. At the onset of the 2010s, the good times of the UK‟s urban renaissance years were a distant
memory. The unsustainable pre-2007 development model was exposed by the global credit
crunch with viability called into question on many potential schemes due to:
Significantly less money being lent; lower loan-to-value rates and high interest rates
Less risks being taken by the private sector; adopting a risk aversion stance
Public sector resource contraction, and the termination or depletion of funding
streams
Consequently, the place-shaping sector – including urban designers, place managers,
planners, developers, retailers and marketers – operates in a new (financial) environment
where the risks are higher and returns reduced. This is impacting on the ability to complete
current projects, to realise projects in the pipeline and to bring forward new schemes. 62 As a
result, some UK communities have been saddled with zombie sites and „mothballed‟
development schemes (see Figure 6) rather than the renaissance visions that were vigorously
marketed during the preceding decade to help rebrand and, thus, reposition places.
Distinguishing between visionary, guiding and binding styles of masterplans, 63 it is clear that
many visionary plans are now unrealisable and binding plans lack the flexibility needed to
implement in a tougher fiscal climate. Some guiding masterplans may retain merit over the
next decade, although it is anticipated that phasing, funding and delivery aspects will require
radical recalibration. Even consumption landscapes of spectacle and „economies of
fascination‟, such as Dubai and Las Vegas, have been forced to stop and pause in respect of
the implementation of some of their planned megaprojects. In Las Vegas, for example,
Schmid 64 noted the plummeting of building permits by 85 percent following the global
economic crisis, which coincided with rising unemployment and declining numbers of
tourists, whereas in Dubai, droves of migrant workers left the city as jobs, particularly in the
construction and leisure sector, were cut.
16
17. Figure 6. A mothballed housing development scheme
17
18. New financial models and place-shaping strategies
The (pre-credit crunch) renaissance wave of place-shaping was financed on the back of cheap
credit, rapidly rising land values and high-density residential development, with demand for
commercial and residential development driven by rapid employment expansion (albeit
skewed by additional public sector jobs). The recession wave was exclusively focussed on
immediate mitigation and managing the fallout. The recovery wave will undoubtedly be
different; but different in what ways?
Whilst it is unclear how new financial models will be structured in precise terms, it is
apparent that pre-credit crunch renaissance strategies are no longer economically viable or
sustainable. Shaping places for recovery, in a UK context, is likely to be driven by a
requirement to „rebalance‟ the economy in terms of private sector enterprise. 65 Such
investment strategies may target a broader mix of locations than was apparent during the
renaissance wave and may necessitate different aesthetic, spatial and functional requirements.
Whereas renaissance projects tended to be „attention grabbing‟ or „transformational‟ with a
preference for city centre, edge-of-centre, riverside and other choice locations, the recovery
wave of place-shaping is anticipated to be more prudent and less ostentatious (particularly
due to the retrenchment of UK state support) (see Table 1). Whether the recovery wave will
favour alternative designs and different geographies remains speculative at the time of
writing. Nevertheless, the evolution of place-shaping creates significant challenges for towns
and cities, especially those which the urban renaissance all too fleetingly passed-by; to
reinvent, redesign and rejuvenate themselves in future years. The implications for place-
shapers, and town and city managers more specifically, are direct. As capital and revenue
resources become increasingly scarce, securing investment and sustainable income streams
will become more demanding. 9, 66 With traditional markets, in a geographic and consumption
sense, continuing to diversify, more conventional places of socio-cultural life (i.e. town and
city centres) are set to face intensified competition. Conventional places may thus need to
diversify. This may involve finding new uses for unsuitable commercial space, utilising
existing space more effectively through multifunctional and multitemporal activities, and
enriching the „offer‟ beyond purely consumption pursuits. An anti-interventionist Localism
agenda, as propounded by the UK‟s Coalition Government, could, for example, encourage
the „Big Society‟ reclamation of commodified space: reintroducing more civic and quotidian
cultural activities back in the city. Small victories, spatial tactics and insurgent community-
18
19. practices have found favour globally across small urban pockets of „counter spaces‟, from
favela activism in parts of Latin America 67 to urban social centres in Italy. 68 Recessions
provide a useful interject to reflect on past practice, rethink future policies and sharpen skills.
It is within such a climate that innovatory practice can flourish as (public, private and
community) actors are challenged to seek alternative ways of working. Consequently,
strategic and operational place-shaping partnerships are likely to take on added importance
over future years.
Places across the UK that were not able to sustainably rebrand, reimage or reconfigure
themselves when the good times were rolling or over-extended themselves with the
commissioning of lavish cultural amenities, for example, now have to survive a harsh
economic climate and drastic cuts in public expenditure. Yet perversely, it is places that were
bypassed by the urban renaissance, such as Burnley, Stockport and Middlesbrough, which
may possess some keys to unlock the models and strategies necessary to regenerate for a
recovery.
Economically and spatially marginal, „left-over‟ towns and cities have been tackling high
rates of worklessness, large-scale redundancies and urban abandonment for decades. They
posses ample experience of the requisite tradeoffs and resource prioritisation necessitated in
more stringent times, but some recognise that place quality also counts. For example, as
Middlesbrough was well versed in economic recovery tactics even before the global
economic shocks, key actors recognised the role of place quality in revitalising a community
that had grown accustomed to an urban landscape pockmarked with industrial eyesores,
zombie sites, urban voids and physical degradation, and consequently voted the „worst town
in Britain‟. As a response, a collection of actors invested over £4m on public realm
enhancements and the redesign of Victoria Park (now named Central Square), which
provides the high quality spatial setting befitting of the Middlesbrough Institute of
Modern Art (MIMA) (see Figures 7 and 8). The gallery, designed by Erick van Egeraat,
opened in 2007 as part of a £20m economic recovery initiative intended to restore some
pride in the town and attract visitors from within and outside the region. Resulting in
positive media coverage, increased footfall, and a town focal point that is regularly used
for outdoor cultural activities and music events (see Figure 9); Middlesbrough’s vigour
not to make cuts on quality appears to be paying dividends. An illustration was the
BBC’s decision to stage the 2007 Proms at Central Square, which attracted an estimated
19
20. 20,000 people to the town centre with around 8,000 visitors to MIMA in a single day.
Physical improvements and place promotion were also accompanied by a bespoke
management strategy, including street wardens. But even so, injecting £20m in order to
create approximately 3,700 square metres of cultural space and 19,000 square metres of
public space, including unsurprisingly a 120-jet water feature, is not enough to reverse
the fortunes of a left-over town with a population of around 140,000. Administered as
an urban attractor, less thought was given to its role within a broader place-shaping
strategy: how it can reach out into the surrounding communities and improve
connections with the neighbouring spatial landscape.
Figure 7. MIMA – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
20
22. Figure 9. An annual music event at Central Square, Middlesbrough
Investigating the experiences, practices and interventions of towns and cities, such as
Middlesbrough, in a perennial state of regeneration, may provide pointers for others
considering the role of place quality in the shaping of places for a recovery.
Nevertheless, prior experience, including lessons from other spatially-specific successes
and failures, is not to be confused with ready-made international „best-practice‟ remedies.
Indeed, it could be challenged that a major flaw with many renaissance projects was that they
appeared to blindly roll-out pre-packaged „solutions‟ from other places. With this in mind
and consistent with the spatially-contingent theorisation of place-shaping applied in this
paper, it is deemed counterproductive to identify generic place-shaping „keys‟. Any such
catalogue would be superficial and misappropriated. Instead, the role of place quality is
advocated as a invariable across spatially-contingent place-shaping endeavours.
22
23. Quality counts: questioning the wisdom of cuts in quality
With many renaissance projects mothballed in the wake of the credit crunch and those
intended to be brought forward looking to cut costs wherever possible, there is an impending
danger that the quality counts mantra – which recognises value – is replaced by a short-term
view that equates lower costs with higher profits. Such a real and potential outlook may be
partly attributable to the inadequacy of place quality proxy measures and crude development
targets. The multidimensionality of place quality – its centrality to social life – remains
underappreciated and the place-shaping process as a value generator is more complex than is
presently understood.
Different lenses can provide complementary assessments, which may necessitate the use of
multiple tools to help grasp alternative spatial stories and the views of multiple publics. 69, 70
Even so, with public sector fiscal retrenchment set to savagely restrict infrastructure
investment and revenue funding for much of the next decade, and perhaps beyond, in the UK
and elsewhere, there is a need for new ways of capturing place quality. Whilst the value of
design, the cultural role of space and the management of place require multilayered value
frameworks that capture use value and subjective qualities, 71 it is unlikely that sufficient
resources will be released by public and private interests unless exchange value is sufficiently
demonstrated. Consequently, as we shape places in an age of austerity there is a danger of a
return to viewing place quality as an unaffordable luxury, rather than seeing it as a process
that is integral to place-shaping; regenerating localities and adding value (See Figure 10 for a
summary of the broad place quality trends since 1997, which speculates those trends over the
recovery wave). Taking the former path where the place quality „luxury‟ has been slavishly
discounted, characterised by short-termism, could potentially result in unsustainable places,
reminiscent of some of the business and industrial parks rapidly constructed under the
Enterprise Zones (EZs) initiative of the 1979-1997 Conservative Government. The
establishment of EZs as „sirens of free enterprise‟, however, failed to sustain private sector
property markets in the majority of peripheral places. 72 Internationally, speculative „growth-
machine‟ strategies in the US, for example, have suffered economic contraction following an
initial period of growth, which calls into question the sustainability of such practice. 73
Taking the latter path where place quality is viewed as more than aesthetics to position it as a
process that assists in the shaping, functioning and workings of places, characterised by a
longer-term approach, may help lay some solid foundations for a more environmentally-
23
24. conscious economic recovery. For example, Jan Gehl has documented the incremental
pedestrianisation of Copenhagen and the associated increases in usage achieved over several
decades. 74
Figure 10. From renaissance to recovery: place quality trends
Renaissance • Marginalisation of
Recovery
design issues and focus
• ‘Big’ projects on deliverability • Intensification of existing
• Iconic designs • Relegation of place buildings and spaces
• Housing-led mixed use quality interventions • Smaller projects,
schemes maximising existing
infrastructure
Recession
Conclusion
Over the next decade, the UK as well as many other nations, will face some tough political
choices relating to need versus opportunity and quality versus quantity, as all actors – public,
private and community – are charged with „doing more with less‟. To recall Bob Dylan‟s
1964 hit, „The Times They Are A-Changin‟‟, is pertinent to the recent evolution of the
shaping of places. The 1997 to 2007 UK urban renaissance wave was largely fuelled by
consumption activities, including retail, leisure, financial services and housing-led
regeneration. Geographically, the „winners‟ tended to be prominent city spaces, choice places
and other urban gateway sites. Between 2007 and 2009 recession mitigation measures took
precedence as attention diverted from place quality interventions and long-term renaissance
ambitions to a preoccupation with rapid economic responses and intensified social support
measures. Since the Coalition Government gained power in May, 2010, the demise of place
quality as a crucial public policy goal appears to have continued. With a sluggish economic
recovery for the UK anticipated by many commentators, place quality advances up until
2007, particularly in more marginal, „left-over‟ towns, may rapidly retreat. Such a trend has
precedents internationally, such as those shrinking cities and ghost towns identified earlier.
24
25. In the face of raising the „quality bar‟ over the past decade and the steady progress made in
educating different communities of practice that place quality makes commercial sense, the
prevailing outlook in austere times risks undoing such progress. Despite the recognised role
of local authorities as place-shaping leaders, 1, 75 many core components such as place
management or urban design remain discretionary local authority activities. Consequently,
there is a propensity to cut these services first as they tend to be more politically palatable
than reducing social services, such as care homes or libraries. Unfortunately, many local
authorities still consider a town centre manager or design professional as a „nice to have‟,
whereas a development control planning officer tends to be viewed as a „must have‟ when it
comes to budget-saving and restructuring exercises. As place-shaping professionals in the
public and private sectors face redundancies alike, together with the complete dismantling of
public-private place city development partnerships, regeneration bodies and destination
management organisations in the most extreme circumstances, there is a distinct possibility
that skills, experience and local spatial knowledge lost now will not be replaced once the
„good times‟ (associated with the macroeconomic cycle) return. The loss of tacit-knowledge
refined over many years of practice could have severe repercussions for the shaping of places
over the next decade. It is therefore apt to conclude this paper with the clarion call that whilst
place quality is not easily counted or quantified, it surely counts, necessitating a commitment
to quality. With any change in government and/or economic outlook, there is an opportunity
to do things differently. Place-shaping, practiced across globally connected local places,
needs to draw on both the successes and failures of the renaissance and recession mitigation
policy waves if the recovery wave is to be equitable, just and sustainable; raising the place
quality benchmark.
25
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