Main differences in the approach to urban policy between Scotland and England in the period 1979-1987 - Essay Example

? Urban Regeneration Main differences in the approach to urban policy between Scotland and England in the period 1979-1987 This essay will outline and discuss major differences between the Urban Regeneration Policy of Scotland and England. The government of both the countries started to develop urban regeneration programme in order to improve the life style of urban people. Urban Regeneration Policy in Scotland Urban regeneration policy is an admitted term. This term refers to several activities of Scottish public agencies which are particularly directed at changing the fact that some urban areas in Scotland display an inadequate environmental quality, limited level of economic activities and poor economic and social conditions for their residents. It is a common belief of most of the people that all the factors are collaborated and need to be addressed simultaneously (McCarthy 67). The nucleus of Scottish urban regeneration policy consists of several particular government programmes. Moreover, other policies have greater impact on the Scottish communities. It is true that, people of Scotland, especially the urban people were suffering from inadequate environmental and social situations. This nucleus of urban regeneration policy historically had two broad threads in Scotland. Urban Programme is considered as one of those broad threads. This Urban programme was fundamentally a funding administration that helped to stimulate a vast range of several relevant activities (Blackman 91). The considerable changes in the Scottish urban regeneration policy tried to bring election of the labour government approaches together. The Scottish Urban programme had several significance source of funding. Key indicators that are characterized as disadvantaged included short-term and long-term employment, uptake of education support, low household income, low educational attainment level and increasing crime rate. After Second World War, the economic and social condition of Scotland violated drastically. The country was suffering from several racial conflicts, colour and gender discrimination in workplace, high unemployment rate and low disposable income of citizens and communal or social conflicts. The government of Scotland tried to develop several policies in order to lift the standard of living of the Scottish people. Moreover, majority of a population group started to migrate in several countries to achieve social and economical advantages. These migrations and environmental conflicts hampered the social and economical balance of Scotland. Therefore, the government of Scotland started to develop urban regeneration policy to bring stability in the society and economy. The Priority Partnership area scheme emphasized the communities’ designation for realistic support for particular projects within the regeneration strategy. This idiosyncratic combination of all the policy elements reflected the chronological development of urban growth and regeneration policy in Scotland. This Priority Partnership area concept initiated to increase of Scottish corporatist tradition. This Priority Partnership Area brings both the local and central government. The significant nature of several Scottish urban regeneration policies have arisen from the municipal intervention legacy. The Scottish urban renewal unit was established in 1975. Scottish Urban regeneration forum is an important independent regeneration network for Scotland. It helps to improve the regeneration policy and practices. This forum works closely with several policy makers in the Scottish agencies and governments. Scottish Urban regeneration has evolved into a distinguishing approach. Since 1969, the Scottish urban regeneration programme has been considered as the key source of funding for the economic, environmental and social improvement of urban areas suffering from social disadvantages and deprival problems. In Practice, the eligible areas for urban programme funding had been constantly interpreted by the office of Scotland. Through this funding, the Scottish Urban regeneration forum succeeds to provide 75% capital as funding to complete several unapproved regeneration projects. Under the traditional urban regeneration programme, several projects had to meet a specific set of criterion developed by the Scottish office in order to achieve the funding. This criterion should include the following aspects. Identification of new resource and services and creation of new potential assets. Demonstration of innovation. Getting sponsorship through a local authority. Demonstration of a specific and direct benefit to destitute areas. Access to particular section of Scottish community. Scottish Urban programme has reflected a bottom-up approach to the selection and development stages of several individual projects. This projects’ nomination for support would initiate at the regional level. Almost 600 urban programme applications would be measured by the Scottish office on yearly basis. The Scottish government carried out a review process of urban programmes in order to identify the numbers of perceived weakness in the developed funding process. This government review concluded that the urban regeneration programme required more strategic focus, with effective integration and higher degree of co-ordination of projects at the regional level. Particularly, this review recommended that the urban regeneration schemes need to be associated with initiatives of several private, public and various agencies. Subsequently, several applications of the urban regeneration programme required regional agencies and authorities in order to specify a wider local strategy. It can change the focus of urban regeneration’s funding effectively in Scotland. The diversification and growth of the approved programme increased the strains on the administrative capacity of the Small supervisory of Scottish offices. This urban regeneration programme offered long-term funding. Moreover, in spite of several occasional protests from the local agencies and authorities during the restriction period on the expenditure, several projects were continued during this time. The government of Scotland was trying to develop and regenerate their cities in order to overcome the problem challenges and issues associated with the urban areas. Several agencies developed few valuable and important urban regeneration programmes in order to regenerate the urban life (Halkier 571). The major principle of these integrated, co-operative and partnership policies is to develop and organize significant urban regeneration funding. Priority Partnership Area involved local partnership’s development that could be developed from several existing arrangements like Dundee partnership (Ward 219). It consists of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Scottish Homes and City Council. However, majority of the Priority Partnership Areas groupings was formed for the instant purpose of levering out methodically allocated several key public sector resources. Various specific proposals were considered for designated Priority Partnership Areas within the Scottish urban regeneration strategy. These proposals are developed based on the disadvantaged vicinities in the urban areas. People always expect effective social and economical opportunities from their government. It was important for the government to reduce racial or gender discrimination in the Scottish society. It was affecting the social balance of urban areas. Therefore, government of Scotland initiated the Scottish urban regeneration programme. The Scottish urban regeneration programme was considered as the key foundation of funding for the economic, environmental and social development of urban areas that are suffering from social disadvantages and economic deprival issues (Wilson 174). The eligible Scottish urban areas for urban regeneration programme funding had been constantly construed by the Scottish office. Through this funding, the Scottish Urban regeneration forum succeeds to provide a significant capital base complete several unapproved regeneration projects. Recently, these projects help to accomplish several governmental goals. According to the urban reconstruction programme and policy of Scotland government, it can be stated that, the projects need to fulfil several criterions to become eligible for the funding. A country’s economical balance depends upon the income level of the people, employment rate. However, this urban regeneration policy was necessary for Scottish society and economy. This urban programme remained the major source of funds for the urban regeneration initiatives in Scotland. Urban Regeneration Policy in England The period of 1979 to 1987 in England was marked by the rise in unemployment and shortage of housing and accommodation in the urban areas of England. The income level of the urban population started to decline and the poverty level in the country rose beyond control. These problems were mainly evident in the inner city areas and there was a need of regeneration of the urban areas of England. The urban regeneration policies of England were designed by the government of UK in order to revive the economic status and standard of living of the people of urban areas in England. The policies on urban generation by the government took into account the declining economic status of the inner cities and the fall of living standards of the urban people. The policies aimed at a new process of planning of the inner cities of England with an objective to solve the rise of urban problems (Tallon 53). The long term unemployment of the male section of the inner urban areas of England reduced the income level of the urban areas of England. This led to the increase in poverty level of the inner urban areas. Due to lesser liquidity in the hands of the urban people, the problem of accommodation also cropped up. The people had problems in finding accommodation as a result of shortage of housing properties. The economic problems in the inner urban areas had impacts of the economy of the country which could be understood from the key economic indicators. Due to the fall of income level of the urban population, the consumption demand of the economy fell against the prevailing supply. This led to the fall of prices of goods and services and created a situation of likely deflation in the economy. The production units faced losses in their revenue earnings and the profitability lowered. This eventually slowed down the pace of economic progress in England. The policies of urban regeneration in England were aimed at addressing these problems that prevailed in the inner cities of England. The racial minorities in England and Birmingham also added to the problems in the urban areas of England. The policies on urban regeneration of the government in England during 1979 to 1987 saw a shift in the objectives of the government from the restoration of the urban properties and the revival of the economy to an all inclusive growth of the economic conditions of the urban areas of England. The regime of Margaret Thatcher saw that the government was not able to supply the resources required to support the inclusive revival of the economy of the urban areas of England. The demand for employment and essential conditions for livelihood were much more than the capacity of supply of the government. Moreover, the increase in migration from the other countries to England also led to the increase in the population of the urban areas. Thus the process of urban regeneration that was a wholesome demand for the economic revival of the urban areas was influenced by the policies of urban regeneration of the government. The government realized its incapability to fulfil the demands of the inner cities in England solely through the contribution of the government. In order to catalyse the process of urban regeneration in England, the government organised programs and strategies to include the participation of the private sector, non-profit entities, public-sector enterprises and the communities in order to lay the path of urban regeneration (Davies 48). The contributions of the private sector, non-profit organization and the direct stakeholders or the communities increased the process of urban regeneration. The public-private partnerships, contributions of corporate enterprises, availability of loans from the financial sector provided the sources of finance required for regeneration of the urban areas of England. The private entities and the corporate entities in the economy were included in the revitalization of the urban areas. The private and corporate entities are entirely profit driven and have a certain deadline for completion of the urban projects. The contributions of the private sector in parallel to the public enterprises helped to accelerate the process of urban regeneration (Mccarthy 38). The increase in the contribution of the private sector created provisions for more job opportunities for the male population in the inner cities. Also the workforce of the productive units included people from diverse origin which served to reduce the gap between different races in the urban areas if England. The non-profit organizations and the corporate enterprises spent more funds in the urban revitalization projects as a result of which there was increase in liquidity in the hands of the urban people. The rise in the income level marked the increase in consumption demand of the urban section of the country and the standard of living rose among the urban population in England. As an initiative for urban regeneration of England in 19789-1987, the Enterprise Zones and the Urban Development Corporations were set up along with the urban regeneration units. The objectives of the Urban Development Organizations were to develop the land and resources in order to enable the living conditions in the inner urban areas. The buildings were redeveloped to provide accommodation to more number of people. Apart from ensuring the living conditions of the people in the inner cities of England, the Urban Development Corporations also endorsed the establishment of new industries and created opportunities for investment in the urban areas of England. Thus the Urban Development Corporation helped to address the problems of housing facilities and the opportunities of job in the urban areas of England (Jones and Evans 58). Thus the urban section of the population in England could find housing facilities and also job opportunities in the development and rejuvenation programs of the government that led to the increase in income level of the people. The development of land and increase in the job opportunities were the objectives of the government for urban regeneration in England in order to revitalize the status of economy of the inner urban areas of England. The government believed that the public sector has not been to stimulate the revival of economy of the inner urban areas of England. Thus the Urban Development Corporation were provided annual funding and the decision taking power was given to the corporations in order to invest more in the urban economy and create job opportunities for the population. The Urban development corporations had the power to sanction projects on building construction and land development in the designated urban areas as a part of the regeneration strategy. The sufficiency of infrastructure in the urban areas was a challenge for the Urban Regeneration Programs. The Urban development corporations ensured availability of water, gas, electricity, sewage systems in the urban regeneration programs (Beswick and Tsenkova 12). The projects carried out for the urban regeneration of England included partnerships of the private companies and the corporate houses. The private entities found opportunities to invest and earn more profits in the process of urban regeneration that led to the revival of the economy of the inner urban areas. The Urban development Corporations also had the power to provide grants, financial assistance and enterprise zones for regeneration of the urban areas. Thus the initiatives of the government to set up dedicated Urban Development Corporations for the process of urban revitalization encouraged the private and non-profit organization to invest in the inner cities of England and the revival of economic health of the area was restored. The process of urban regeneration of England was extremely crucial for the revival of economy and also to the make the urban areas of England free from poverty. Works Cited Beswick, Carol-Ann. and Sasha, Tsenkova. Overview of Urban Regeneration Policies. 2001. Web. 24 July. 2013. < http://www.ucalgary.ca/ev/designresearch/projects/2001/Urban_Regeneration/chapter2.pdf>. Blackman, Tim. Urban Policy in Practice. New York: Springer, 2013. Print. Davies, Jonathan. Partnerships and regimes: the politics of urban regeneration in the UK. UK: Ashgate, 2001. Print. Halkier, Henrik. Institutions, Discourse and Regional Development. New York: Peter Lang, 2006. Print. Jones, Phil. and James, Evans. Urban Regeneration in the UK: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE, 2008. Print. McCarthy, John. Partnership, Collaborative Planning and Urban Regeneration. New York: Ashgate Publishing, 2012. Print. Mccarthy, John. Partnership, Collaborative Planning and Urban Regeneration. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2012. Print. Tallon, Andrew. Urban Regeneration in the UK. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print. Ward, Stephen. Planning and Urban Change. New Jersey: Pearson, 2004. Print. Wilson, Elizabeth. The Sphinx in the City. California: University of California Press, 1992. Print. Read More