A report evaluated the Urban Congestion Programme, and assessed the extent to which recent reductions in congestion in the 10 largest urban areas in England had been due to the programme rather than the economic downturn. Congestion reductions could not be accounted for solely by the rise in fuel prices and the recession.
Source: WSP Development and Transportation, Evaluation of the Urban Congestion Programme: Final report, Department for Transport
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined the 'failed politics' of the New Labour governments 1997-2010, focusing on its legacy in the field of urban architecture.
Source: Owen Hatherley, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, Verso Books
Links: Summary | Guardian report | Morning Star report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report (commissioned by Tesco) said that supermarkets built on the edge of town centres had an important role to play in helping maintain and enhance the vitality and viability of those centres.
Source: Neil Wrigley, Dionysia Lambiri and Katherine Cudworth, Revisiting the Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and District Centres, Retail Industry Business Engagement Network
Links: Summary | Southampton University press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined the subject of community empowerment in urban regeneration and planning by: exploring the theoretical literature; reviewing recent policy pronouncements relating to community involvement in England; and discussing a recent case study of a project in London. Community empowerment was always likely to be partial, and contingent on both local circumstances and the wider context.
Source: Nick Bailey, 'Understanding community empowerment in urban regeneration and planning in England: putting policy and practice in context', Planning Practice and Research, Volume 25 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Sep
A think-tank report called for high streets to be 'brought back to life' – developed so that they did not rely on people being merely consumers, but instead supported them to live better and more sustainably.
Source: Elizabeth Cox, Paul Squires, Josh Ryan-Collins and Ruth Potts, Re-Imagining the High Street: Escape from Clone Town Britain, New Economics Foundation
Links: Report | Summary | Telegraph report | New Start report
Date: 2010-Sep
A report said that England's biggest urban areas faced a return to urban decline unless the government devolved economic powers to the 'core' cities.
Source: Driving Economic Recovery: The core cities – A new partnership with government, Core Cities Group
Links: Report | New Start report
Date: 2010-Jul
A think-tank report warned of the danger of a 'split' economic recovery – with already successful cities, mainly located in the south east, leading the recovery, while less successful cities were left with low growth, low employment, and low prospects.
Source: Neil Lee with Katy Morris et al., No City Left Behind? The geography of the recovery – and the implications for the coalition, Work Foundation
Links: Report | Work Foundation press release
Date: 2010-Jul
A think-tank report examined the scale of the 'jobs deficit' facing England's lagging city economies. Many cities were no longer capable of generating enough private sector jobs for the number of people living in them.
Source: Chris Webber and Paul Swinney, Private Sector Cities: A new geography of opportunity, Centre for Cities
Links: Report | Centre for Cities press release | New Start report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2010-Jun
A lecture examined the role of cities in managing cultural difference, and in particular the potential significance of the urban infrastructure in regulating relations between strangers.
Source: Ash Amin, Cities and the Ethic of Care for the Stranger, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Lecture
Date: 2010-Mar
Researchers examined the first phase of the government's 'City Strategy' – an initiative designed to combat worklessness and poverty in urban areas by empowering local institutions to develop local solutions. All partnerships had delivered new activities or interventions additional to mainstream provision. The main thrust of activities had been in the fields of 'client' engagement and employer engagement. There was some evidence of a positive effect of linking jobs to training through the individual 'pathway' models adopted by most partnerships.
Source: Anne Green, Duncan Adam and Chris Hasluck, Evaluation of Phase 1 City Strategy, Research Report 639, Department for Work and Pensions
Date: 2010-Mar
A think-tank report said that medium-sized cities were 'critical nodes' within the English economy. They should work with one another and larger neighbours to play a key role in leading the way to economic recovery.
Source: Naomi Clayton and Katy Morris, Recession, Recovery and Medium-Sized Cities, Work Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Feb
A think-tank report examined how the eight 'core' cities in England could play a critical role in pulling the economy out of recession. It considered three different futures for jobs and economic output in the core cities and their regions.
Source: Will Hutton and Alexandra Jones, Driving Economic Recovery: The Core Cities – A new partnership with government, Work Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Feb
A think-tank report said that cities in England that had suffered from the highest rates of unemployment before the economic recession had also been hit hardest by the downturn, and would be the slowest to recover.
Source: Cities Outlook 2010, Centre for Cities
Links: Report | Centre for Cities press release | LGA press release | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2010-Jan