Big UK lessons for US cities

Date: 12/06/2008

A new report from the Centre for Cities and Washington's Brookings Institution has found that the USA has a lot to learn from Britain's urban renaissance. But while British politicians and officials have always been keen to go on the hunt for policy ideas from the States, US politicians don't always follow suit. US mayors - and the next US administration - should look more closely at British policy ideas, to help American cities compete in the future.

Smarter, Stronger Cities points to the following examples of UK innovations which could be exported Stateside:

• London's congestion charge, introduced by former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone in 2002, which has resulted in volumes of traffic falling by one-fifth, and bus usage up by 15%.  Miami, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco and other cities are currently considering congestion charging as one way to solve their traffic problems - but none has yet committed to it.

• Putting ‘town centres first' under planning rules: starting with the Conservative government of the 1990s, regeneration has been guided into town and city centres - reducing the number of new car-dependent shopping centres and office parks.

• A national clamp-down on urban sprawl: stricter controls under the current Labour government have helped cities like Leeds and Bristol to avoid the lengthy commutes and gridlock seen in cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles.  A national drive to re-use urban land - rather than build on green belts - has kept UK cities compact.

• A safety net for the less well off: The UK provides strong support for low and middle income families.  The Labour government pioneered a tax credit system more generous than in the US - and paid more regularly.  We also have a higher minimum wage and a New Deal programme that helps find work for the hard to reach.

Despite these successes, the UK government could do more to champion cities - by giving local government the financial and political powers to help cities get through the current economic downturn.

Dermot Finch, Director of the Centre for Cities, said:

"The UK's urban renaissance is still unfinished - but there's a lot that the United States could learn from. National leaders, from Michael Heseltine to Gordon Brown, have given UK cities their high-profile attention. These champions have helped cities like Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds transform themselves in recent decades. The next US Administration could take a stronger leadership role in support of US cities.

As the United States chooses its next President, we should do more to export our successful urban policies to the US - especially on sustainable growth. US cities could learn useful lessons from our track record of avoiding excessive sprawl and supporting low-income families."

Bruce Katz, Director of the Metropolitan Program at the Brookings Institution, said:

"Building more prosperous cities and metropolitan areas should be a key concern for the United States - yet our federal government has largely failed to unleash the true potential of these economic engines.  The US can learn a lot from smart policy reforms in the UK that have helped its cities address longstanding challenges, and build on their unique assets.

It's encouraging to see Mayors Boris Johnson and Michael Bloomberg promising to exchange ideas and people.  We need more of this two-way traffic, not just at the local level, but also at the national level."

For more information

Rosamund Taylor, Centre for Cities

020 7803 4316 r.taylor@centreforcities.org

Smarter, Stronger Cities: UK Urban Policy Innovations and Lessons for the US by Chris Webber (Centre for Cities) and Alan Berube (Metropolitan Program at Brookings) is available at www.centreforcities.org/smarterstrongercities

This paper will be launched at Brookings Metropolitan Policy Programme's Summit for American Prosperity: Washington and Metropolitan Areas Working Together.  This summit will give the next president an urban policy agenda.

About Centre for Cities

The Centre for Cities is a non-partisan research and policy institute, helping cities improve their economic performance.  We work with cities, employers and central government to develop practical policy solutions which help urban economies grow.  The Centre for Cities is a registered charity (No 1119841) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (No 6215397). Our core funder is The Gatsby Foundation, one of the Sainsbury family charitable trusts; and our chair is Tom Bloxham MBE, chairman and founder of Urban Splash.

For more information, visit www.centreforcities.org

About the Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:

• Strengthen American democracy;

• Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans and

• Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.

For more information, visit www.brookings.edu