Manchester Planning
And
Regeneration Strategies
Since the demise of the manufacturing industry in the early 20th century, and the collapse of mass manufacturing that had begun to affect Manchester by the 1950's, there have been a number of regeneration strategies and plans implemented with the goal of restructuring and rebuilding the city. This is an overview of what some of these plans and strategies have been. While this is not a complete account of all of the programs and groups that have played a part in regenerating the city, it provides a general outlook on what has been occurring in Manchester to rectify the effects of deindustrialization.
Government Urban Program (1979 - 1993):
The main function of The Government Urban Program was to fund regeneration projects in deprived neighborhoods. In Manchester, the money was focused mainly on economic projects, but the program also allocated resources and funding for environmental upgrading, social investment projects, and housing support. Projects funded by the UP program included:
Castlefield Urban Heritage Park Manchester's Chinese Arch
Enterprise Zone Designation (1981-1991):
The Enterprise Zone Designation Program located specific areas of abandoned and derelict industrial land and buildings and encouraged new firms to locate in the area through a series of financial incentives. The Enterprise Zone Designation program was partially responsible for the Salford Quays Project (late 1980's), in which former dock areas were identified as derelict and a development plan was set up. The project involved: the damming of former docks, the creation of clean water basins, the redesign of the old docks, and the development of offices, residences, and leisure activities in the area.
Greater Manchester Council:
The Greater Manchester Council was a major public authority involved in regeneration initiatives in the 1980's. The Council made a number of initiatives to reclaim tracts of derelict land in city center cores and was also involved in the movement to reclaim wasteland alongside the old valleys and riversides of the urban regions. The Council helped to establish new parks and worked towards the creation of a conurbation - wide transport strategy. The council played a part in the
Castlefield Urban Heritage Park Project and a major role in the transformation of the city's abandoned Central Railway Station into the Great Manchester Exhibition Center, known as G -MEX. G -MEX is now a massive open exhibition space that also doubles as a concert hall. G -MEX has been a commercial success and has given rise to substantial redevelopment in the surrounding area.
Greater Manchester Exhibition Center (G - MEX)
Castlefield Urban Heritage Park
Unitary Development Plan:
The Unitary Development Plan is one of the city's current plans. It has two major objectives:
These overall goals have been translated into twenty different policy intentions. For more information check out
Manchester's City Council site.
Private Development Agencies (late 1980's):
Trafford Park Development Corporation (1987-1998):
The Trafford Park Development Corporation was focused on attracting investment and enterprise to complement Trafford Park's existing industrial base and also worked on strategies for physical regeneration in the area.
Central Manchester Development Corporation (1988 - 1996):
The Central Manchester Development Corporation worked on the functional and geographical extension of the city center. The major objectives of the group were:
Map of area covered by the
TPDC Manchester City Center
City Challenge:
City Challenge is a program that was formed to target resources in a strategic and integrated way. It began as an effort to prevent cities and neighborhoods from being forced to compete for the allocation of urban funds. One of the major projects funded through the City challenge program has been the Hulme City Challenge. The Hulme estate has long been one of Manchester's most infamous housing schemes known for severe levels of poverty, substandard public services, and deficient environmental conditions. The project, receiving direct public funding, aimed to re-integrate this area in the city's social, economic, and physical life. It included the refurbishment of 1650 dwellings, the construction of 2000 new dwellings, and the creation of development land for newer commercial activity including a district shopping center.
City Pride Initiative:
The City Pride Initiative is Manchester's prospectus of the city's strategic development over the next decade. The City Pride Initiative aims to build upon existing local partnerships, create new ones, and provide a corporate framework for development strategies. They have 42 major projects to be accomplished within the next decade.
Image Reconstruction:
Along with the above mentioned plans and strategies for the regeneration and rebuilding of the city, Manchester has also been working on projects to reconstruct the city's image. These plans have been focused towards reinventing people's visions of the city, and recreating the city of Manchester as a new and thriving post-industrial center rather than an area of depressed deindustrialization.
Olympic and Commonwealth Game Bids:
Manchester was chosen as the United Kingdom's bid to host the Olympic Games in both 1996 and 2000. While the city lost both times, the fact that Manchester was the 'chosen' city led to an increase in city pride and had a huge local cultural impact. Manchester was also given a large amount of money by the national government to complete athletic facilities in the city in preparation for the games. This investment was used to improve the area of East Manchester, and build the Velodrome in East Manchester and the Olympic Indoor Athletics Facility.
In February 1994, Manchester was selected to bid for the
Commonwealth Games in 2002, and committed to build a new 65,000-seat stadium. This nomination, along with the two Olympic bids, increased City Pride and brought large amounts of interest and capital into the city.
City of Drama:
Manchester was chosen as the United Kingdom City of Drama in 1994 on the basis of its 15 active
theatres. They have also built a new concert hall as a home for the Halle orchestra.
Bridgewater Hall and G - MEX
Manchester International Airport:
In order to boost the city's reputation as an international center, the city made plans to upgrade and extend the
Manchester International Airport. The airport committed itself to building a new terminal, and to the construction of a new rail station in the airport itself (in partnership with British rail). These new facilities opened in 1993 and at that point, the airport was pronounced the 13th largest in the world (in terms of its patronage).
Manchester International Airport Manchester Runways
Metrolink Light Transit System:
The Metrolink light transit system opened in July 1992. The system came about due to the continuing problems of access from the peripheral areas to the city - center core. The Metrolink was built as an alternative to an underground system. It opened with 25 stations and a 6-minute service frequency throughout the day. Expansions are now in planning stages.
Manchester City Center Area
