The Enterprising City Centre Manchester's Development Challenge

The re-emphasis on city centers as part of the wider agenda on urban renaissance and sustainable development has increased policy concerns in the field. "The Enterprising City Centre" is a welcome addition to the current discourse. It focuses on urban development processes and the dynamics of changing city centers with the context of the emergence of urban entrepreneurialism as a driving force in delivering urban development. It looks at the role of new modes of governance and the political economy of partnership working.
The devastation caused to Manchester city Centrex as a result of the bombing of its core in June 1996 was to have a major physical, economic and cultural impact on the city and its key interests. The robustness of established public-private partnership arrangements enabled community leaders and key stakeholders to highlight the opportunities that this afforded to drive through a very ambitious renewal programme, and to enhance the city center's competitiveness and quality. The dynamic redevelopment challenges presented to Manchester City Center has provided an ideal case-study for research into the issues of regeneration and the lessons learnt for master planning, programme development and implementation can be applied to any city center regeneration project.
"The Enterprising City Centre" reveals exemplars of local partnership working, the development and delivery of realistic implementation plans, and the range of instruments available to create both an improved quality to the urban environment and enhanced commercial and cultural competitiveness of our major city centers. That this was largely delivered in Manchester within a five year period of intensivedevelopment and renewal activity amply demonstrates the value of such experience for wider dissemination.

The Enterprising City Centre reveals exemplars of local partnership working, the development and delivery of realistic implementation plans, and the range of instruments available to create both an improved quality to the urban environment and enhanced commercial and cultural competitiveness of our major city centres. That this was largely delivered in Manchester within a five year period of intensive development and renewal activity amply demonstrates the value of such experience for wider dissemination.

Preface. Introduction. Part 1. The Governance and Policy Context 1. Urban Governance and the Enterpreneurial City 2. The City Centre as a Focus for Policy Concern. Part 2. The Local Framework 3. Manchester's Governance and Emerging Policy Framework 4. Mobilising Regeneration Capacity 5. From Masterplan to Implementation Framework. Part 3. Delivering the Vision 6. Managing Programme Delivery 7. Commercial Competitiveness 8. Creating Urban Quality Within the Core 9. Urban Consumption And Cultural Vitality 10. Enhancing City Centre Access and Mobility. Part 4. New Opportunities and Challenges 11. Continuing City Centre Competitiveness. Bibliography. Appendix 1. Individual Interviews. Appendix 2. Focus Group Meetings Appendix 3. Index.