Contemporary Urban Environments

Question 1

Urban Policy 1997-2000s

Greenwich Millenium Village

Answer 1

• Area has focus on ‘village life in the city’, started in 2000s
• total of 1377 multi-bedroom houses, mean value of £523,596
• Key facilities: schools, grocery shops, GP surgeries, green spaces and parks
• well-connected through Jubilee line to large shopping centres (which ones?)

Question 2

Urban policy 1997-2000s

Modern housing and environmental changes under Blair overview

Answer 2

NEW LABOUR- Blair’s commitment to a balance of market and public ownership and creation of wealth.

Decent Homes Program (DHS)
- gov initiative ot improve condition of social housing in UK
- criteria = must be in reasonable state of repair, thermal comfort, modern facilities and services, current statutory minimum standard for housing

Plymouth Development Corporation (PDC)
- project ran from 1993-1998 in Plymouth, Devon
- budget of $45m for 5-year lifetime
- claimed it had the potential to create >1300 new jobs, and attract private sector finance of £50m

Question 3

Urban Policy 1997-2000

Impacts of Modern Housing and Environmental Changes Under Blair

Answer 3

SHOCKING FAILURE compared to what was predicted.
- National Audit reported that only built 11,900m^2 of commercial floor space and 99 homes
- only £8m of private finance (I) leveraged in/brought in
- 427 new jobs created
- CORRUPTION: John Collinson suspended in June 1995 from PAC bc spent £9000 of corporation’s money on private expenses during visits abroad

Question 4

Urban Policy 1997-2000s

Blair’s New Deal for Communities overview

Answer 4

Took place between 1998-2009
- Targeted 39 communities w average of 10,000 residents (in most deprived areas)
- each received £50m over the 10 years
- First 17 = £774m over 10 years
- The next 22 in 1998 = £2b spent
- partnership approach taken

Question 5

Urban Policy 1997-2000s

Successes + Failures of NDC

Answer 5

Successes:
- By 2006 crime in Newcastle fell by 21% bc £3.4m dedicated to crime
- 45% of residents in NDCs felt safer in communities by 2008
- 2000 new homes built in some NDC areas
- 10,000 adults participated in education and skill-development programs

Failures:
- only 2000 of the 10,000 who got the education acc got long-term stable employment by end of program
- unemployment still high in these areas only fell by around 1% between 2002 and ‘08 in Newcastle’s West Gate area
- 40% of small businesses supported by NDC grants struggled or closed w/in two years after funding finished