Cities Unlimited – What is the Future to our Old Industrial Areas?

Structure

1) Introduction

2) From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems?

3) Today's Troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today?

4) Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties

5)The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

Basic Sources

Cities Unlimited: a study by the think tank „Policy Exchange“

documents of other corporations (e.g. Urban Task Force, Ecotec Research & Consulting Limited)

Internet sources (e.g. statistics.gov.uk, The Northern Way)

Geography books (foremost „Innovationsraum Ruhrgebiet“)

Structure

1) Introduction

2) From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems?

3) Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today?

4) Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties

5)The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

From Boom to Burden

Economy: originally based on agriculture Industrial Revolution (18th century) -> CHANGE Inventions: steam engine, machinery, collieries Coal, iron and steel industries played a big role Expansion of cities --> a lot of housing was

needed Improvements of infrastructure

From Boom to Burden

England (heyday: late 19th century) Mother country of industry port cities: export and trade essential

Germany (heyday: 1957) lagged behind England (~ 70 years) Political and economic instability Transport via train, Rhine and Ruhr rivers

From Boom To Burden Decline (1950s to 1970s) Not able to compete any longer, not profitable Need for coal shrunk --> switch to oil, gas Colliery and factory closures --> unemployment Subsidies and regeneration programmes to

counteract the cities' decline

Structure

1) Introduction

2) From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems?

3) Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today?

4) Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties

5)The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

Today's Troubles

regeneration projects for urban renewal intention: revitalization of the economy,

attractiveness of cities structural change: service sector has

increased

Today's Troubles British old industrial cities: situation is bad

Gross Value Added about 13 % under national average

personal incomes way lower than national average

unemployment situation very difficult since 2001: £6 billion of annual

regeneration funding Policy Exchange: „attempts to regenerate

British cities [...] have failed“

Today's Troubles Locational factors (e.g. labour supply and

closeness to the market) are not given no customers in old industrial towns;

connection to successful towns is bad successful graduates leave for London

old industrial towns: unattractive house prices low, shrinking population trend especially young families move away

a lot of unsatisfied social housing tenants stay

Today's Troubles

Ruhr Area: attractive region a lot of city centres, town malls,

events, exhibitions, musicals: culturally attractive

Industrial Heritage Trail: reminder of the historical background

excellent motorway network & public transport

tertiary sector: profitable

Today's Troubles

still difficult aspects of the Ruhr Area: unemployment rate: 10.4 % (December 2008)

tertiary sector does not employ as many workers as the manufacturing sector

educational standard not as good as in other regions

shrinking population trend, bad image empty residential estates, demolition, ...

Structure

1) Introduction

2) From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems?

3) Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today?

4) Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties

5)The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

Sunderland and Bochum

Sunderland and Bochum

Sunderland (180.000 inh.): once largest shipbuilding town worldwide

Bochum (376,586 inh.): typical mining town attempts to become attractive for tourists:

football clubs -> fans make a weekend of it Ruhr-Park, shopping centres in Sunderland Schauspielhaus, Sunderland Empire

Theatre National Glass Centre, German Mining

Museum

Sunderland and Bochum

connectivity three motorways running through Bochum no single motorway in Sunderland, bad

railway connection situation of unemployment and education

Sunderland: 4.8 % unemployed, 27 % without qualification

Bochum: 10.2 % unemployed

Sunderland and Bochum Nokia and Nissan: received financial packages Nokia: subsidies of €88 m.

Branch suddenly closed in January 2008, not competetive, wages too high --> Romania

Nissan: site was sold at low prices financial crisis: has had to lay off 1,200 workers

financial crisis: even harder for old industrial cities; not able to compete, unskilled workforce, dependent on few firms

Structure

1) Introduction

2) From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems?

3) Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today?

4) Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties

5)The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

The Next Step

suggestions based on experiences of other countries (Ruhr Area: “a model to Britain“)

an attractive cityscape housing estates: bigger, higher quality, better

design public places, town centres, green areas

improving social problems integration of social housing tenants (mixed

tenure communities) appealing high skill workers (golf

courses, ...)

The Next Step

attracting people to the city leisure time facilities, cultural offerings

e.g. European Capital of Culture2008: Liverpool, 2010: Essen

lower taxes, financial advantages improving infrastructure, connectivity supporting local firms

specific subsidies, business parks, advice services

The Next Step

improving educational standards support schools, school leavers,

unemployed people involving residents in Urban Policy, increasing

the accountability of local councils

The Next Step

mass migration to London and the South social housing tenants and well-off people increasing the size of cities

expanding suburbs, re-using building of low value uses for housing

devolving the power of London moving the government's key offices out of

London

Conclusion a lot of complaints about Cities Unlimited, esp.

because of the suggestion of a mass migration my own opinion:

government should not just support the South but trying to make old industrial cities appealing

basis of regeneration: skilled and well-planned policy

Help cities help themselves – like in the Ruhr Area