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The issue of integrated regeneration of neglected neighbourhoods is
used in all ENTRUST cities, but there is always a danger of using this
well sounding headline without clarifying and specifying the specific
aims of the regeneration process. Therefore we asked all partners to
give us their definition of this term and the results already give an
idea of the immanent conflicts that can be caused by integrated
strategies.
Integrated urban regeneration is an approach to include different
fields of intervention and to tackle all relevant levels of
neighbourhood life. It has a focus on people, business and place
(physical environment) and is combining improved competitiveness and
social cohesion (and living conditions). This strategy is following a
wide spectrum of visions and aims. Exactly this ideal of integrated
approaches causes conflicts in the implementation as we will see later
in the findings.
Integrated regeneration is aiming at an interrelated and cross-sectoral
or cross-departmental approach. But the reality seems to be not always
like this ideal as we will realise later on.
Vilnius |
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The process should involve greater parts from the public, private and
community sectors – to integrate as many perspectives, competences and
resources as possible. This is obviously a good and promising strategy,
but how does it look in the reality of regeneration?
Obviously integrated regeneration is not always understood in the
same way by all relevant partners / stakeholders and needs
clarification and specification of the actual aims instead of using only
well-sounding buzz-words. We see the danger of trying to integrate as
many issues and aims as possible without a clear and joint hierarchy of
aims for the implementation or at least preferences for the regeneration
process.
From the collected data it's obvious that although integrated urban
regeneration is seeking for an equilibrium between physical, economical
and social issues, there are always dominating goals in the particular
cities. As for instance the improvement of the physical environment is a
dominating issue in Lisbon, Malta and Vilnius, the creation of higher
living standards is dominating in Glasgow and Hamburg, attempts to
strengthen social cohesion is dominating in Berlin, Copenhagen and
Dublin and stimulation of local economies is dominating in Berlin,
Dublin and Hamburg.
So in an integrated approach idealistically something could be in it
for everybody, which is an important prerequisite for the involvement of
new partners, e.g. from the private business sector. But is this the
reality of urban regeneration? Is it really a win-win situation for all
relevant stakeholders and partners? Or do we only follow an idealistic
idea with this holistic approach? The reality of urban regeneration and
the existing conflicts are becoming clearer in the findings in
Chapter
II.
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