Renaissance, not just regeneration

Barnsley, the Tuscan Hills Town

The future should be greater than the past. We must drive beyond the process of regeneration, beyond just property development, to the more holistic tool of renaissance, where we can rethink, remake and regain our future through our collective making of great places.

The word renaissance could be substituted by words such as rebirth or revival. Renaissance is about people and their place. It’s a broad subject about the rethinking and the remaking of the mind and body of places; in order to effect a greater economic growth and regain the future for all of the people, both the shareholders and stakeholders of that place.

Renaissance builds upon other successful works particularly the renewal and regeneration lessons from the past.
The concept of renaissance, begun in the late 1990’s by Lord Rogers’ Urban Task Force and then developed by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency in Yorkshire and the Humber, has encompassed a more holistic approach in which the quality of places came to be regarded as the distinctive driving element of the renaissance. Yorkshire Forward has dedicated itself to the renaissance approach; with programmes at all urban and rural scales; with “great places” at the heart of its Regional Economic Strategy (RES).

A great place is easily understood and is a clear and tangible vision for all. Yorkshire Forward began the process in 2001 with a high profile pilot programme which led to projects such as “Barnsley, the Tuscan Hill Town”; and to the identification of Scarborough as a “Sleeping Beauty”.

From 2001 onwards, the original pilot programme of six towns expanded at a considerable pace and in 2003 the programme expanded into rural areas and additional urban areas. Now in 2006, 28 renaissance programmes of varying scales and methodologies are underway in both urban and rural areas.

Over the past five years the programme has been building upon the original visions, creating the opportunities and getting projects on site. In Scarborough alone six projects have now begun and an estimated £200m of additional private investment is taking place in the town.

Projects such as the new marina and harbour refurbishment; the cultural industries centre; Scarborough spa refurbishment; the ambassador's programme; digital Scarborough festival and the business park.

Similar stories can be found in all of the region’s renaissance towns, approximately 100 projects are now being delivered since programme inception.

“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by sceptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need people who can dream of things that never were”

J F Kennedy, 1963

Renaissance in its simplest form is about reviving and enhancing the emotional response you have with place, whether you live, invest or consume there. It’s the way a great place makes you feel, the confidence that it gives you as individuals, groups or parties of investors.

In order to create great places we must have a vision, but a vision is not a strategy and a strategy is not delivery.

Delivery is less glamorous, but it’s the required outcome. We must be obsessive about implementation and never cease in the desire for quality outcomes.

We need great places; civil places, because civility is not a sign of weakness, civility is a sign of economic strength and this strength will be the foundation for people’s prosperity.

We can define great places as a collection and interaction of the following thirteen qualities, or types of place.

Places of positive identities.
Places for and of discerning consumers.
Places of both great and iconic architecture.
Places which make towns & cities of civic citizens.
Places with permeable public buildings and public life.
Places of dynamic, flexible and strong local economies.
Places of creativity, bold actions, thoughts and self belief.
Places which are alive, questioning, proud and liberally free.
Places of big and small and managed hard and soft public spaces.
Places of originality, of challenging and controversial environments.
Places of connected communities of responsible and of active democracy.
Places of strong identifiable buildings and spaces which support and define them.
Places for everyone, families and children, young and old for all races and all creeds.

Renaissance can only be achieved if we break down silos between economic development, physical development and social inclusion and work together through the subject of “place”. We need to invest in the “third space”, the place between house and work, the places between the public and the private to make the renaissance happen; streets, parks, public buildings, pavements, lanes, squares, from the bus stops to the railway carriages: all our areas of shared ownership and use. We too must find a way to support and invest in the marginal economies which make up the flavour and nature of our public realm. The public realm supports our social infrastructure of car mechanics, local hair dressers, shoe repairers, post offices and so on. These are the neighbourhood businesses which carry the memory and the trust of the local economy and its people. They create community stability.

Quality places are less prone to the peaks and troughs of economic performance. They allow for a sustainability of economic development because they remain attractive and distinctive to investors; skills remain, enterprise occurs to service the market and innovation is inherent.

Renaissance is an opportunity to shape and help the economic development of all our places; but it depends on finding the forgotten people and the best of what lies within them.

Regeneration cannot occur in isolation from people, insulated from its hinterland or introverted on its site. Regeneration has to be an extroverted act to enhance economic evolution through an equal engagement of the people of a place.