City People: City centre living in the UK. Max Nathan, Senior Researcher ippr Centre for Cities

Transcription

1 City People: City centre living in the UK Max Nathan, Senior Researcher ippr Centre for Cities

2 The Centre for Cities What? An independent urban research unit based at ippr. Sponsored by Lord Sainsbury Why? Taking a fresh look at how UK cities function, focusing on economic drivers When? Launched March 2005 Where? We re working in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sunderland, Derby, Barnsley, Doncaster and Dundee

3 What we re doing Key projects City People: city centre living, January 2006 City Leadership: financial devolution, February 2006 City Markets: enterprise in deprived areas, May 2006 Discussion Paper series Creative Classes, Lyons Inquiry, city centre housing markets, enterprise, competitiveness, EU Structural Funds Seminars, events, and other activity UK Bilbao event, UK-US book w/ Brookings Institution, projects with British Property Federation, NWDA

4 About this presentation

5 City centre regeneration Jobs Housing Services Shops Culture Space regeneration

6 What we ve done Case studies of three UK cities. Not London Methodology: 1991 and 2001 Census mapping, lifestyle data, focus groups and stakeholder interviews Established markets: Liverpool and Manchester, major English core cities Emerging market: Dundee, small Scottish city Snapshots of other cities: including Birmingham, Derby, Edinburgh

7 City centre living

8 Why are cities doing better? Demographic change. Household growth as people start families later, live alone for longer By 2026, we should see - Fewer family households. Just under half of households, down from 2/3 now - More single people, more older singles. Nearly 75% of household growth: Over half aged 45+, nearly 25% Household growth in cities. 78% of the population live in / around England s 56 biggest cities (ODPM, 2006)

9 Why are cities doing better? (2) Industrial restructuring. Cheap land and buildings, emergence of service sector Economic prosperity. Economic recovery, rising disposable incomes, rising house prices Social and cultural change. HE expansion, changing image of city living Policy drivers. Planning systems, economic development, housing and regeneration funding

10 Who s living in city centres? 13,500 in Liverpool, 10,000 in Manchester, 2,900 in Dundee 10,000 / 3,500 / 1,500 in 1991 Predominantly young, single adults: students, young professionals and other workers. Very few families, children, people over 40 People who have yet to settle down. Most live single lifestyles renting, going out a lot, no kids

11 Why do people live in city centres? Proximity close to shops, work, friends, leisure Buzz sense of energy, being in the heart of things Traditional community not a big deal. Keeping up with friends, not knowing next-door neighbours - Liverpool: 54% of respondents move to be in city centre, 35% like urban life (CSR, 2004) - Leeds: 37% move to city centre for lifestyle reasons, 17% for nightlife (Unsworth, 2005) - High levels of churn 30% move in or out every year

12 Why are the effects of city centre living? Improves city centres. Helps physical improvement Helps local service economy. Boosts demand for shops, bars etc. Wider catalyst effects. Improves labour market, housing market, changes external perceptions Other impacts. Reduces car use, increases council tax take Reflects wider city performance. Strongest effects in best-performing cities

13 Key finding 4: Direct impacts

14 Key finding 4: Direct impacts

15 Key messages

16 Key messages (1) Today s residents: young, single, don t stay long - Lots of young, single people. Loads of students - Hardly any families or people over 40 - Conveyor belt phenomenon: most leave after a few years Tomorrow s residents? - More families, older people in years time? - Cities will need to start changing their offer

17 Key messages (2) City centres are not for everyone. Don t impose a sustainable communities model on them - Probably not sustainable communities, but they are viable - City centres not seen as family-friendly deep-rooted attitudes - Some space for family neighbourhoods, e.g. Hope / Canning in Liverpool, Castlefield in Manchester - Encourage families into inner urban areas bigger need, bigger regeneration impact

18 Lessons for design and public space

19 Key messages (4) Current residents: better mixed-use offer - Local shops that suit residents - Places to socialise, meet friends - Relatively high tolerance of disorder, anti-social behaviour - Work spaces, especially for independent businesses - Car parking!

20 Key messages (5) Inner ring neighbourhoods: creating a new offer - Two types of place: edge of centre, inner suburb - Edge of centre: grown up city living - Inner suburb: classic family neighbourhood - Homes with gardens not flats - Space, security, services especially parks, schools - Street environment: needs to foster sense of community

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23 Future residents? Key messages (6) - Older singles, empty nesters - Some city centres may go grey - Safer bet: inner ring neighbourhoods - Likely to be concerned with security - Will need lots of inside / outside space - Shops, services, culture accessibility

24 Questions?