Agenda

The successful transformation of some of the UK's key industrial cities is widely seen as a model for the planning, financing and execution of large urban regeneration projects. Not only have cities such as Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham seen massive changes in their living and working environments, they have become positive drivers for the national economy, backed by a centralised urban policy and the extensive use of public-private partnerships. However, challenges remain, with some areas of urban Britain still suffering from high unemployment, poverty, delinquency and violent crime. How can the UK's successful model of urban regeneration be adapted to cities in China, and what can Chinese planners do to avoid some of the failures in social regeneration that still affect British cities?

One way to ensure urban development produces economic growth is to establish a strong unique identity for a city, particularly in forward-looking sectors such as science, medicine, creative industries, advanced services and higher education-led research and development. The UK has a number of well-known knowledge cities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Bristol, but also emerging hubs such as York, Warwick, Brighton, Cardiff and Bath, where the quality of life is helping to build and retain talent. What are the key steps that planners need to take to move cities from the industrial sector to the knowledge sector and what conditions should be present to ensure success? Given the number of top research centres spread across China, and the rapid growth of new creative industries, which mainland cities have the strongest prospects to become knowledge hubs and what obstacles need to  be overcome for those aims to be achieved? What can be learned from successful knowledge cities in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, which is sharing its expertise with Chinese planners?

The key to low-carbon urban living is how buildings, spaces, places and transport systems are planned and managed. Countries in Scandinavia have comprehensive strategies backed by regulation to ensure that urban systems and designs are energy-efficient, but in other regions of the world it can be more ad hoc. In the UK and China, much more needs to be done. In older cities, the challenge is to ensure financial viability and prioritisation over other concerns such as affordable housing. One answer can be to start from scratch -- creating new, eco-cities that have energy efficiency at the core of their design, or so-called intelligent cities structured around high-speed networks including smart grids for efficient power usage. China has begun to develop a number of eco-cities. How can such concepts be adapted to existing, older cities? What can the UK learn from countries such as China?

The major infrastructure requirements involved in urban development highlight the need for innovative public-private partnerships to ensure financial viability. Some municipalities use bonds and other market-based tools to mobilise capital, while more centralised regimes like in the UK create special purpose vehicles to attract private investment for public sector-led projects. What are the most successful examples of innovative investment-raising schemes around the world and how can they be adapted to countries such as the UK and China? What regulatory frameworks and incentives have to be established to attract sufficient levels of investment from the private sector?

Municipal government leaders from the UK and China share their insights on the revitalisation of their cities, the latest strategies being considered to provide sustainable, vibrant and viable living and working environments, and the challenges that still need to be overcome to ensure long-term success.