1. Regions for Economic Change: Improved regions for businesses and citizens ATTRACTIVE CITIES FOR GROWTH AND JOBS Lesley Chalmers Chief Executive, English Cities Fund 8 March 2007

2. Attractive cities for jobs and growth Key issues: place-making quality and distinctiveness strategic integration – social, economic, physical long-term thinking innovation collaboration leadership and confidence Barcelona conference June 2006 – “The region without the city is like the car without the engine” The most successful European cities manage their affairs somewhere between the city and regional level – eg skills, connectivity, environment and sustainability…

3. UK: Regional Economic Disparity north v. south investment gap in provincial cities = overheating in the south east, market failure in the north State of the Cities report 2006: urban policy regional policy increasingly important: RGOs, RDAs, DCLG, Treasury, budget process Core Cities working together the ‘Northern Way’ initiative, 2004 collaboration in a global economy: - transportation - employment - communication - trading - culture

4. Cities are Crucial cities are drivers of economic growth cities can improve their performance successful economic performance is directly linked to the attractiveness of places – ie. their being places people want to be in importance of locational dimension to business planning

5. Making Places The basic characteristics of sustainable and successful places with strong, vibrant mixed communities are: a mix of well-integrated uses a range of tenures, both residential and commercial, to encourage social and economic cohesion and opportunity residential density sufficient to encourage sustainable mixed development and bring basic amenities within walking distance well connected streets and spaces that do not favour vehicular use high quality of urban design and architecture input from local stakeholders in the planning, design and management of the area

6. Getting Density Right Of the 20 largest cities in the world London ranks 19th (4,028 p/sq km) - only Los Angeles is less dense, with 3,525 p/sq km - Paris is twice as dense, with 7,797 p/sq km Barcelona- 400 dwellings/ hectare Bloomsbury- up to 200 dwellings/ hectare critical mass + walkability = successful local services/facilities = economic viability = character, sense of place = quality of life

7. London Paris Barcelona New York...Hulme?

8. Hulme, Manchester – late 1960s

9. Hulme, Manchester - today

10. English Cities Fund – investment criteria Assisted Areas: town and city centres and/or fringes, with latent potential strategic as well as implementation role area-based; mixed use; high quality place-making; step change part of a broader strategy involvement from the beginning long-term involvement

11. Attractive cities for growth and jobs… what next? continue to take their growth seriously: the potential benefits are enormous endeavour to understand better what works and what doesn’t – UK Core Cities Working Group > Europe > beyond confront outdated and pessimistic views on potential of communications technologies collaborate rather than compete use our assets wisely - manage the process to ensure maximum economic development benefits – clustering, leadership, local labour markets make better places – sustainable communities, not just housing estates and business parks

12. Attractive cities for growth and jobs? places, not just buildings quality, not just style value, not just cost Contact: lesley.chalmers@englishcitiesfund.co.uk www.englishcitiesfund.co.uk think…