Mind the gap? The persistence of pathological discourses in urban regeneration policy

Urban regeneration policy has historically framed policy problems using a discourse that pathologises areas and spatial communities. Since 2001 in England, and 2002 in Scotland a structural change in policy has occurred where citywide partnerships are now meant overcome structural spatial inequalities, countering pathological explanations. This paper uses historical and discourse analysis to evaluate one of the major community regeneration strategies developed by the Scottish Executive in 2002: Better Communities in Scotland: Closing the Gap. It seeks to ask whether structural change in policy was paralleled by discursive change; what discursive path dependence is evidenced? The text is placed in the historic context of UK urban renewal policies dating back to the launch of the Urban Programme in 1968 and particularly the policy discourse created by the influential Conservative government policy of 1988 New Life for Urban Scotland and the wider discourses of poverty and neighbourhood renewal policy created by Labour governments since 1997. The close textual analysis of the text shows that Better Communities in Scotland continues to pathologise spatial communities. Although this suggests a degree of historical path dependency, the historic breadth of the analysis also problematises simple historical determinism

Sport in the city: measuring economic significance at the local level

In many cities throughout Europe, sport is increasingly being used as a tool for economic revitalisation. While there has been a growth in literature relating to the specific economic impacts of sports-led development, including professional sport facilities, teams, and sport events, limited research has been undertaken on the contribution of the whole sport sector to output and employment. In the United Kingdom (UK), studies have focused on evaluating sport-related economic activity at the national level, yet despite the increasing use of sport for local economic development little research has been undertaken at the city level. To address this situation, this article uses the National Income Accounting framework to measure the economic importance of sport in Sheffield, UK. It shows that the value-added in 1996/97 was 165.61m or 4.11% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), approximately twice the amount predicted from current national estimates. It is argued that this can primarily be explained by previous studies under-estimating the economic importance of sport, largely due to methodological differences. It goes on to suggest that future research on the significance of sport should be undertaken at the local level to provide policymakers with information at the spatial level where regeneration programmes are being implemented.</p

Competing Ideas of Social Justice and Space: Locating Critiques of Housing Renewal in Theory and in Practice

This article considers the experience of the English government's policy of Housing Market Renewal from the perspective of spatial justice. The paper first proposes an analytical framework that situates competing notions of territorial social justice within a space of complex sociospatial relations. The dialectic of two formulations of social justice is first set up, comparing 'procedural' or deontological forms of justice and the distributional justice of outcomes. Soja's formulation of spatial justice is advanced as an appropriate balance between spatial and socio-historic contexts for the justice question. Drawing on the literature on sociospatial relations, concrete critiques and justifications of HMR are then positioned in terms of the intersection of structuring principles and policy fields. The role of demolition in urban restructuring programmes is used to explore the differential spatialities involved in different justicial perspectives. It is concluded that 'gentrification' critiques of HMR are only partial in their evaluation of justice and lack normative power. Some practical implications for the design of urban restructuring policies are offered

Strategic responses to defence sector restructuring: an analysis of Lancashire-based companies

This paper investigates the factors affecting the likelihood of Lancashire-based companies involved in defence production pursuing strategic responses to defence sector restructuring. Data covering 100 Lancashire-based companies form the Lancashire Defence Survey database, which is analysed. Results of the data analysis are of interest to organizations involved in local economic development policy making. They suggest that the effects of restructuring are most profound in large core defece companies most directly involved in defence production. Other effects are passed on to companies that carry out subcontracting, but there is less evidence of strategies being implemented in response to structural change among these companies. Company size, product type and degree of defence-dependency are uncovered as significant factors influencing whether a strategic response is instigated

Physical activity and dietary intake of children aged 9-11 years and the influence of peers on these behaviours : a 1-year follow-up

BACKGROUND: This study investigated physical activity and dietary intake of children aged 9-11 years, and the influence of peers on these behaviours over a 2-year period. METHODS: A total of 106 (64 girls; 42 boys) children were investigated annually, over 2 years. Measures included physical activity (sealed pedometer), self-report measures of dietary intake and physical activity, and a peer influence questionnaire. Anthropometric measures of height and weight were also obtained. RESULTS: The findings reveal insufficient energy intakes, physical activity levels and fruit and vegetable consumption but high intakes of saturated fat and sodium, over time, in both boys and girls. Both male calcium and female iron intakes were also of concern. Throughout the survey, peers were found to influence physical activity behaviour but not dietary intake. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that youth consistently failed to meet established nutrition and physical activity recommendations highlights the importance of promoting physical activity and healthy eating to children younger than 9 years of age. The finding that peers significantly influence physical activity behaviour over time should be considered when designing new physical activity interventions aimed at young people

Spatial development, planning and information and communication technologies

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3113.15765(no UR37) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo