Successful Regeneration in C21st Scotland - What will it take? A Personal View

1) We need to make a proper start to radically addressing the massive economic imbalance in UK - between London and the South East and North Britain

French places compared to English places (1997) (GDP per head in Euros) Paris / Ile de France (100%)Grtr. London24,218 (100%) Lyon24,227 (77%)W. Yorkshire15,656 (65%) Rouen22,137 (71%)W. Midlands15,593 (64%) Strasbourg20,943 (67%)Grtr. Manchester15,207 (63%) Marseille19,773 (63%)Tyneside14,621 (60%) Bordeaux19,327 (62%)S. Yorkshire12,373 (51%) Toulouse19,152 (61%)Merseyside (50%) Nantes19,118 (61%)

i)We need to identify new ways of dispersing economic activity to the regions from London and S.E. ii)Tax allowances targeted specifically at ‘knowledge businesses’ to attract, initiate and develop them in N. Britain

2)Regeneration and urban place-making is about more than ‘badly performing urban bits’ - regeneration is not just ‘gestures to ailing places’ - it’s a key component of the national competitiveness agenda

National Competitiveness - the 3 Prosperities Business Prosperity People Prosperity Place Prosperity Strategic Organising Capacity

3)Regeneration does not have sufficiently strong political championing in Scotland: and unfortunately that’s probably a sufficient condition

4)There is no strong ‘Implementation Leadership’ in regeneration and place- making in Scotland

5)Key Characteristics of an Organisation to lead regeneration in Scotland If not SE then a ‘National Regeneration Agency’ required (compare to ‘English Partnerships’ role in England) Strategic at national level and operational at ‘city- region’ level (4 or 5 in Scotland) –removes ‘cities without suburbs’ –need strategic co-operation –would improve competitiveness & better placed to reduce social exclusion by reducing concentration Agency would have responsibility for building the roads it required - not have to go through Highways Agency

6)Need to articulate a compelling, long term vision and ambition for cities, towns and place-making in Scotland What do we expect from our cities and towns? Do we expect them to be ‘world class’? What does this mean? Perspective needs to be long term. Still pressure to finish & ‘exit’ in 5 years