Integrated planning for urban regeneration: The difficulties and a way forward

Abstract

Urban regeneration is very high on the agenda of both central government and local authorities, driven by both human need and political expediency. Yet, despite substantial budgets and continued efforts over many years, the problems of deprived communities and areas that require regeneration are still with us. Why have governments not been effective in solving them? It is now increasingly recognised that deprivation and decline are complex processes that require an integrative response. Government legislation has been calling for integrated programmes for the past 20 years, but with poor results. Why is that? This paper explores the concept of an integrated approach to regeneration, based on understanding the interactive processes that led to decline, as the first step towards managing and redirecting these processes. It is equally concerned with understanding the reasons for compartmentalism having the upper hand. The author promises to offer, in subsequent papers, a way of enhancing both the concept and the practice of integrated planning for regeneration.