Urban regeneration is in your hands

Tuesday 30 September 2008

New RICS research recommends involving citizens in the development of their communities.

European citizens need to be involved in the planning and development of their cities.

Without community involvement in this process, policymakers and real estate professionals will not be able to deliver successful sustainable urban regeneration, resulting in places where the social and environmental aspects are lost.

This is one of the conclusions of a new RICS research entitled “Urban Regeneration is in your hands”, presented at the Sustainable Cities & Communities Conference in Geneva on 30 September 2008.  [This research FiBRE (Findings in the Built and Rural Environments) is available for download (from www.rics.org).]

The European quarter in Brussels is a prime example where a lack of dialogue between developers, public authorities and citizens, has lead to a series of chaotic, non-integrated office buildings, that fail to incorporate any long-term vision. According to the RICS research, the use of a “sustainable cost-benefit analysis” to measure residents’ welfare is essential in assessing whether public spending on urban renewal is justified.

Assessing factors such as quality of housing, accessibility, social interaction, green areas, safety, health, jobs and education are just as important as a good economic return for developers.

With this publication, RICS aimed to set out five key recommendations for policy and decision makers to bear in mind when planning or undertaking sustainable urban regeneration projects, based on the conclusions of the Sustainable Urban Regeneration Lecture Series organised by RICS in Brussels this year.

RICS’ recommendations can be summarised as follows:
1. Involve the community in the process of urban planning and development
2. Develop and regenerate by means of deliberate construction to ensure legitimacy and acceptance
3. For an overall successful urban regeneration project, an integrated sustainable cost-benefit analysis should be developed and implemented
4. Markets alone cannot provide for sustainable regeneration; a single, coherent European policy should be developed to offer clear incentives for sustainable urban regeneration
5. Communication between members of a community and the creation of cohesion are essential in delivering sustainable urban regeneration.

Source: www.rics.org