Building local jobs
Date: 19/01/2009Many UK city centres have experienced a facelift in the past two decades, with significant physical renewal in the shape of new offices, homes and shops. Whilst this physical renewal has often been accompanied by growing economic prosperity, many of those living near to regeneration zones have not benefited by way of employment. Instead, newly built city centres have been set amidst continued deprivation and worklessness. Given the discussion of ‘opportunity for all' and the emphasis placed on employment as a route out of poverty, this failure to link up local residents to jobs created by regeneration represents a wasted opportunity.
This All Party Urban Development Group (APUDG) report asks how regeneration can be better used to deliver job opportunities for local residents. Its findings are nuanced for what can be done now, and what can be used during an upswing.
