Urban regeneration is key to inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. SQW has both breadth and depth of expertise in relation to urban regeneration. Typically we are involved in the development of strategies and action plans, in evaluating the impact of regeneration projects and programmes, and in supporting the development of partnership arrangements to take forward regeneration activities. We often take a lead role in projects which require integrated solutions, hence SQW takes responsibility for knitting together inputs from different specialists into a coherent and comprehensive approach to area regeneration.
However, we also bring to urban regeneration work our own distinctive specialisms, including business formation and development, labour market analysis and skills upgrading, project appraisal (using the Government’s ‘Green Book’ methodology), and the use of under-used assets, such as universities and hospitals, to drive business growth and local wealth creation. SQW also has strong expertise in evaluation methodologies for urban regeneration.
For projects involving significant physical redevelopment, we often work with our strategic partners BBP Regeneration, who have extensive property development and regeneration experience.
Examples of SQW projects
Delivery of a unified economic and spatial strategy for Merseyside
SQW was commissioned as lead consultant by the Mersey Partnership to develop a unified economic and spatial strategy for Merseyside. The objective of the project was to provide a single unified package of interlinked initiatives for the city region, as its submission for the Northern Way and as an input to the Regional Spatial Strategy
Delivering Dover’s Future
‘Delivering Dover’s Future’ is a long term regeneration strategy and action plan for Dover, which SQW was commissioned to develop as the lead consultant in a consortium which also included planning, property, transport and tourism specialists. Traffic passing through the port of Dover is expected to continue its long term pattern of growth, and Dover castle is one of the most popular of English Heritage’s attractions, yet Dover town has hardly benefited from these major resources, and has significant problems of deprivation and lack of direction. Our role was to identify a long term vision for the town, develop a strategy to realise the vision by building on existing strengths and developing new ones, and design an action programme to address shorter term opportunities and needs.
Mid term evaluation of Liverpool Vision
SQW was retained by Liverpool Vision, the Urban Regeneration Company set up to support the regeneration of Liverpool city centre. The aim of our evaluation was to provide robust and accurate assessments of the impact and added value of Liverpool Vision and the associated partner arrangements, and to provide a model for future evaluations of other URCs and the impact of the overall programme.
Review of Yorkshire Forward’s support for urban renaissance
Yorkshire Forward’s Renaissance Towns Programme, which aimed to rethink the role, functions and design of the region’s medium-sized urban areas, was moving into a new phase. Design ideas had been adopted by the town panels for the first six towns, and these were moving into the stage of business planning prior to implementation. Work was beginning with a further six towns. SQW was commissioned to review progress with this high level programme, considering the extent to which it had changed thinking, was beginning to lead to results on the ground, and was expected to do so in the future. We were also asked to consider the extent to which it was ‘joined-up’ with the rest of the Regional Economic Strategy, and in particular with other YF programmes and initiatives. SQW was subsequently retained to help YF prepare a business plan for future work on urban renaissance.
Kent Thameside regeneration framework
Kent Thameside forms a major part of the largest regeneration project in Europe, and comprises an area of 5.5 square miles within which 30,000 new homes and 60,000 new jobs are to be created over the next 25 years. A major stimulus to this growth will be at the new station at Ebbsfleet (in the centre of Kent Thameside) on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which will make the area just 20 minutes travel time from central London. SQW was commissioned as lead consultant in a consortium to prepare a regeneration framework for the area. This was required to provide an integrated and sustainable plan for regeneration of the whole area, identify the main priorities for investment, and ensure there are positive inter-relationships between the new development and the existing urban areas and resident population of people and businesses.
West Midlands Regeneration Zones implementation plans
SQW was engaged by Advantage West Midlands to assist each of the six Regeneration Zones of the West Midlands to Develop three year Zone Implementation Plans (action plans) for the delivery of comprehensive packages of regeneration and economic development activity. Subsequently SQW was retained by several of the Zone Partnerships to help prepare submissions for future years.