Table of contents

Looking to the future

All cities face problems of poverty and social exclusion. The ENTRUST project demonstrates the significant commitment made to fighting social exclusion by a range of cities operating in diverse contexts. The urban regeneration policies pursued vary cross-culturally, but all seek to engage the widest constituency of actors to sustain the European city. Urban regeneration interventions generally start by trying to improve the basic needs of local residents – for example, making physical improvements to poor quality housing. Once basic needs are satisfied it becomes clear that the route out of poverty is through improving employability skills and helping people to find jobs. Later, the question of who controls the process of regeneration emerges. The issue of participation shifts the focus of regeneration into a more political phase. Finally, urban regeneration policy makers face the challenge of sustainable development, ensuring that quality of life is maintained for urban dwellers through the responsible management and use of economic, social physical and cultural resources.

The knowledge amassed in the course of the thematic network provides an important benchmark, against which ENTRUST cities and other European cities can evaluate their urban regeneration strategies. The involvement of the private sector in urban regene-ration is not simply about extending the investment base, important as this is. It is also about creating a more sustainable form of development: increasing employment opportunities and local incomes, engaging in personal capacity-building, fostering knowledge transfers and higher levels of civic engagement.

In our policy recommendations we have stressed three messages in particular:

• the need to embed the regeneration approach across all policy contexts

• the desirability of flexible developmental strategies

• the development of inter-cultural and cross- sectoral networking as a key urban resource.

We believe that taken together, these policy recommendations will enhance the environment within which public-private partnerships can take root, expand and contribute to the resurgence of deprived neighbourhoods across European cities.

Addressing political decision makers (4)  Partners