Urban Regeneration and Social Sustainability
Best Practice from European Cities
Real Estate Issues
1. Edition November 2010
334 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Short Description
This book examines how sustainable urban regeneration is being approached from a social sustainability perspective. It identifies and examines socially sustainable urban regeneration models, vehicles and best practice measurement systems across five key European cities, including exemplar and innovative sustainability metrics and tools. It analyses sustainable urban regeneration from a built environment viewpoint, which is relevant at policy, industry and academic levels.
Urban regeneration is a key focus for public policy throughout Europe. This book examines social sustainability and analyses its meaning and significance - an area of research which has, until now, been comparatively neglected. The authors offer a comprehensive European perspective to identify best practice in sustainable urban regeneration in five major cities in Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.
Urban Regeneration & Social Sustainability: best practice from European cities examines the extent to which social sustainability is incorporated within urban regeneration projects in the EU, but also investigates how local authorities, developers, investors and other key stakeholders approach sustainability. The book covers the recent economic recession and the growth of responsible investment (RI) and corporate responsibility (CR) agendas of investors and developers. It also provides a thorough analysis of the current metrics and tools used by the public, private and NGO sectors to implement, measure and monitor social sustainability. A range of urban regeneration models and vehicles are reviewed, with a particular emphasis on public private partnerships (PPPs) and EU structural funds, and a new framework for assessing social sustainability is described.
City-specific case studies examine regeneration projects in which institutional arrangements, financial products and tools, monitoring and measurement systems for social sustainability and stakeholders' participation in PPPs have delivered successful urban regeneration.
This comprehensive, systematic and authoritative overview of both the scholarly literature and current best practice across Europe makes the book essential reading for researchers and post-graduate students in sustainable development, real estate, geography, urban studies and urban planning, as well as consultants and policy advisors in urban regeneration and the built environment.
* Provides a comprehensive European perspective, comparing case studies across five cities and identifying best practice in sustainable urban regeneration by focusing on social sustainability
* Defines and shows how social sustainability (a key aspect in sustainable development) can be assessed, measured and monitored within urban regeneration projects
* Takes a real estate 'institutional' focus by examining the role of key stakeholders within the property development industry and the public sector
* Examines detailed studies of urban regeneration projects in Spain (Sant Adria de Besos), Italy (Turin), Netherlands (Rotterdam), Germany (Leipzig), and the UK (Cardiff)
* Sets the research in the context of the recent economic recession and the growth of responsible investment (RI) and corporate responsibility (CR) agendas of investors and developers
* Is based on a major three year independent, funded programme of research through the European Investment Bank's EIBURS programme.
Contributing Authors.
Foreword: Stanley McGreal.
All chapters authored by Andrea Colantonio and Tim Dixon unless otherwise stated.
PART I SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND URBAN REGENERATION.
1 Introduction.
Background and context.
Urban regeneration and social sustainability.
Aims and objectives.
Methodology for the research.
Case study selection.
Outline of the book.
2 Social Sustainability and Sustainable Communities: Towards a Conceptual Framework.
Introduction.
What is social sustainability?
Traditional and emerging themes and dimensions.
Sustainable cities and communities.
Conclusions.
3 Metrics and Tools for Social Sustainability.
Introduction.
Impact assessment and social sustainability assessment.
A brief overview of sustainability indicators and social sustainability tools.
Traditional social indicators versus emerging social sustainability indicators.
Conclusions.
4 Urban Regeneration: Delivering Social Sustainability.
Introduction.
A question of definition.
Evolution of urban regeneration policy.
Responsible investment practices.
Institutional involvement in urban regeneration.
Partnership models.
Integrating and measuring social sustainability in urban regeneration.
Conclusions.
PART II SOCIALLY SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION IN EUROPE.
5 Integrated Urban Regeneration and Sustainability: Approaches from the European Union (Juliet Carpenter).
Introduction.
The EU policy framework.
The Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund to 2006.
The URBAN Community Initiative.
Structural Funds 2007-2013.
Conclusions.
6 The Future Regeneration of Roath Basin, Cardiff Bay (Tim Dixon and Austine Ngombe).
Introduction.
Historic perspective.
Regeneration policy: Cardiff Bay.
Policy and context: Recent developments.
Regeneration of Roath Basin.
Conclusions.
7 The Regeneration of La Mina - Sant Adriá de Besós (Venere Stefania Sanna and Andrea Colantonio).
Introduction.
Urban development and decline.
The policy context.
Urban regeneration and partnership arrangements.
Social sustainability.
Conclusions.
8 The Regeneration of Turin and Porta Palazzo.
Introduction.
Urban development and decline.
The policy context.
Urban regeneration and partnership arrangements.
Social sustainability.
Conclusions.
9 The Regeneration of Rotterdam and the 'South Pact'.
Introduction.
Urban development and decline.
Policy context.
The regeneration of South Rotterdam and partnership arrangements.
Social sustainability.
Conclusions.
10 Leipzig East and the Socially Integrative City ('Soziale Stadt') Programme (Robin Ganser).
Introduction.
Policy context.
Funding structures.
Partnership arrangements.
Social sustainability.
Conclusions.
PART III BEST PRACTICES IN URBAN REGENERATION: CONCLUDING PERSPECTIVES.
11 Towards Best Practice and a Social Sustainability Assessment Framework.
Introduction and context.
Best practice in social sustainability monitoring systems: igloo's SRI system.
The social sustainability assessment framework.
Conclusions.
12 Conclusions.
Introduction.
Setting the scene: From distressed urban areas to regenerated urban areas?
Socially sustainable urban regeneration policy.
Best approaches and practices to implement and monitor social sustainability.
Public-private partnerships and emerging urban regeneration delivery vehicles.
The future of urban regeneration: Moving out of recession and retaining the social dimension.
Appendices.
1 Interviews conducted as part of the research process and fieldworks.
2 Vancouver's quality of life and social sustainability indicators.
3 The evolution of sustainable development metrics initiatives by governmental and institutional organisations.
4 Main CSR and social capital initiatives, tools and techniques.
5 Assessment of igloo's SRI policy objectives.
6 List of comparative baseline basic indicators for La Mina neighbourhood (2001).
Bibliography.
Index.
Tim Dixon, Professor of Real Estate, Oxford Brookes University.
