Urban Stakeholders & Regeneration Success (Edexcel A Level Geography)

• In urban areas, where population density is higher, regeneration strategies are often judged against social indicators e.g. 
  • The well-being of residents 
  • The narrowing of any gaps in inequality

The regeneration of Salford Quays

Impacts of the Salford Quays’ regeneration scheme

The regeneration of Salford Quays

• Due to the regeneration initiated by Salford City Council (a key stakeholder), Salford Quays has become a desirable residential location with a growing population 
• Problems and conflicts have arisen due to the regeneration:
• Almost a third of Salford's existing population live in highly deprived areas
• 10,500 people live in places of extreme deprivation in Salford, whilst some neighbouring areas have the highest levels of growth
• New housing is not affordable to the majority of locals 
• In 2020, two-bedroom apartments in The Lightbox (a new MediaCityUK development) were on sale for £325,000
• The bottom 20% of workers in Salford earn £16,894 per year
• In 2012, it was reported that only 24 of the 680 new jobs at the BBC in Salford had gone to local people
• In 2013, local historians and local people were upset when two iconic industrial quayside cranes were demolished - one of the last icons of Salford's industrial heritage 
• As part of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for Salford (2019)
• Crime has increased - 16th most deprived English local authority out of 317   
• The greatest improvement for Salford has been in the health category, from 7th most deprived to 12th

The overall index of deprivation rank for Salford (2019)

• The relative success of Salford Quays’ regeneration will therefore be viewed differently by individuals and groups of stakeholders e.g.
  • Salford City Council will view the job creation of Salford Quays as successful, but may not be pleased that the IMD Ranking has got worse
  • Existing residents will welcome the new affordable housing development at Pendleton and the improved environment, but will be displeased by all the extra traffic congestion and the new unaffordable housing
  • Local businesses will welcome the increasing population of wealthier, younger people to boost profits, but not if their business has had to relocate due to the regeneration

• The success of urban regeneration can be judged using four variables:
  • Economic e.g. increasing average incomes and the number of better-paid jobs

• • Social e.g. reducing levels of deprivation

• • Demographic changes e.g. improving life expectancy and reduced health deprivation

• • Environmental e.g. reducing pollution levels and the amount of derelict land

• The economic variable:
• Is often the driving force of urban regeneration
• National benefits sometimes are seen as more important than local views e.g. the national fracking debate 
• The social variable:
• Any change should cater for the needs of locals as well as newcomers to the area
• Locals should not be excluded or forced out of their area
• The environmental variable: 
• Some residents may have to live in an area that has a poor environment, as they do not have the money to move
• An enhanced environment will attract people to live, work or visit the place
• The variable for demographic changes:
• An increase in the proportion of younger, working-age people indicates that the area has more economic prospects or greater opportunities for tertiary education e.g. universities
• A decrease in the overall numbers of any age group, in an area, is not a positive indicator 
• The regeneration strategy may have caused these groups to leave the area

• Urban regeneration involves a wide range of stakeholders with different social, economic and environmental expectations and interests
• Therefore the relative success of regeneration is often viewed differently by individuals and groups of stakeholders e.g.
• Locals
• Local government
• National government
• Developers (property, business)
• Migrants
• Local businesses
• A stakeholder’s lived experience of a place can affect their judgement of urban regeneration and whether it has successfully changed the place, as well as the image of it.

Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Urban Regeneration