A new book examined key issues in urban development and governance in Europe.
Source: Willem Salet and Enrico Gualini (eds), Framing Strategic Urban Projects: Learning from current experiences in European urban regions, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A report examined ways of promoting the economic growth of cities.
Source: Alexandra Jones and Tom Bolton (eds), Plan C for Cities, Centre for Cities
Date: 2012-Nov
A briefing paper examined town centre regeneration. Notwithstanding significant efforts by central and local government, many high streets and town centres were still in decline. The Portas Review had identified many of the problems as national in nature, but both it and other investigations had also identified a multiplicity of highly local causes.
Source: Ed Hammond, High Street and Town Centre Regeneration, Centre for Public Scrutiny
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined the linkages between urban economies and health. 'Core' cities in England generated 27 per cent of the country's economic output, yet significant and persistent deprivation existed within their populations alongside a profile of health inequalities. Core cities were uniquely well placed to link health outcomes and economic opportunity.
Source: Healthy Cities, Healthy Economies: Health, wellbeing and competitiveness, Core Cities Group
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined the issues involved in developing urban environments that were responsive to the aspirations and needs of older people.
Source: Tine Buffel, Chris Phillipson, and Thomas Scharf, 'Ageing in urban environments: developing "age-friendly" cities', Critical Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A report said that countries in Europe that over-invested in capital cities and under-invested in second-tier cities were less economically competitive over the long term.
Source: Michael Parkinson et al., Second Tier Cities and Territorial Development in Europe: Performance, policies and prospects, ESPON Programme (European Commission)/European Institute of Urban Affairs (Liverpool John Moores University)
Links: Report | Technical report | Core Cities press release
Date: 2012-Oct
A new book examined how towns and cities could turn real estate development to their advantage to create the kind of places where people wanted to live, work, relax, and invest. It said that public authorities should seek to shape, regulate, and stimulate real estate development so that developers, landowners, and funders saw real benefit in creating better places.
Source: David Adams and Steve Tiesdell, Shaping Places: Urban planning, design and development, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined the privatization of urban development in the context of the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Source: Mike Raco, 'The privatisation of urban development and the London Olympics 2012', City, Volume 16 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the increasing power of global cities that acted as co-ordinating hubs for the global economy. Though residing in nation states, these cities had a special status flowing from their central role in the global economy. Little attempt had been made to explore the implications of these cities for welfare regimes and welfare regime analysis. There were strong overlaps between global city types and welfare types.
Source: John Hudson, 'Welfare regimes and global cities: a missing link in the comparative analysis of welfare states?', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 41 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A report examined innovative strategies and projects used in a range of European cities (including Birmingham) to promote social inclusion for those furthest from the labour market.
Source: Collection of Innovative City Practices: Social innovation for active inclusion, Cities for Active Inclusion
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the way in which urban sprawl developed – produced paradoxically by very strong interests in promoting conservation and restraint.
Source: Nicholas Phelps, An Anatomy of Sprawl: Planning and politics in Britain, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
A study examined ways of achieving sustainable urban neighbourhoods. It highlighted the importance of a large spatial planning framework to underpin community-building, and the importance of local vision and leadership.
Source: Nicholas Falk and Michael Carley, Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods: Building communities that last, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2012-Feb
A think-tank report said that many cities were continuing to feel the effects of the economic downturn, and that disparities between cities were growing.
Source: Cities Outlook 2012, Centre for Cities
Links: Report | Centre for Cities press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Jan
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that the Welsh Government should ensure that planning policy fully protected town centres from the potential impacts of out-of-town retail developments.
Source: Regeneration of Town Centres, Enterprise and Business Committee, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined the use of major sporting and cultural events, such as the Olympic Games, in efforts to achieve urban regeneration.
Source: Andrew Smith, Events and Urban Regeneration: The strategic use of events to revitalise cities, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the evolution of urban policy 'discourses' among advanced industrial nations in the period since the early 1980s.
Source: Nik Theodore and Jamie Peck, 'Framing neoliberal urbanism: translating "commonsense" urban policy across the OECD zone', European Urban and Regional Studies, Volume 19 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan