The Role of UK Government Policies
- By investing in infrastructure, such as high-speed rails and airport developments, UK governments can maintain growth and improve accessibility to regenerate regions.
- It is often the role of national governments to facilitate regeneration projects in partnership with charities and developers.
- Rate and type of development, such as planning laws, creating house building targets, considering housing affordability and gaining permissions, affect economic regeneration of both rural and urban regions.
- Government actions may prioritise national over local needs and opinions which can delay regeneration projects and thus worsen inequalities.
- UK government decisions about international migration and the deregulation of capital markets allowing for foreign investment in London real estate significantly impact growth and direct/indirect investment.
- This can be done by the government, for instance, creating open door migration policies.
Local Government Policies
- Local governments compete to create business environments with designated areas for development to attract domestic and foreign investors.
- It is the actions of these local authorities that will determine the success of the regeneration projects.
- Local interest groups are vital in decision-making and creating regeneration project. This can include groups such as ‘Chambers of Commerce’, local preservation societies and trade unions.
- However, there is often conflict between these groups as interests differ; some may wish to preserve urban landscapes whilst others seek to change it.
- For instance, investment for the London Olympic Games provided regeneration for London, but some argued that it was a case of rebuilding rather than regenerating whilst others despised the programme entirely it missed the chance of creating a living and working neighbourhood.
- Urban and rural regeneration strategies include:
- Retail-led Plans: Creates business and job opportunities
- Tourism: Brings money into the area and provides a flow of culture and positive media attention, propelling the area onto a global stage.
- Leisure and Sport: Allows for community integration and social wellbeing.
Changing Public Perception
- Rebranding attempts to represent areas as being more attractive by improving public perception of them.
- This involves re-imaging places using media coverage, art and events to enhance the image of urban and rural locations. This works to invite investors which add to the wealth of the area.
- For UK deindustrialised cities, rebranding can stress the attraction of places, creating an identity by focusing on their industrial heritage.
- This creates national and international tourists and visitors whilst providing local income and media coverage. For instance, there is the ‘Scotland with Style’ program in Glasgow.
- Rural rebranding strategies in the postproduction countryside are based on farm diversification, specialised products, outdoor pursuits and adventure in both accessible and remote areas.
- This again invites tourism, sites being the Brontë country and the Kielder Forest.