[Commuting Hell Liberation Diary]⑫ Urban Regeneration Must Prioritize Alleviating Polarization to Save Low-Income Groups

From the left, Michael Edwards, Matthew Carmona, and Peter Bishop, professors of Urban Planning at the University of London.

[Asia Economy Reporter Tae-min Ryu] "Mitigating regional polarization."

This is the top priority of urban regeneration projects identified by experts met in London. Peter Bishop, Michael Edwards, and Matthew Carmona, professors in the Department of Urban Planning at University College London, are living witnesses of urban regeneration, having been directly involved in and led long-term projects spanning decades, such as the Kings Cross station area and Coin Street.

The three professors unanimously agreed that providing sufficient housing for low-income residents and improving residential environments are the most important aspects when promoting urban regeneration projects. Since urban regeneration is mostly carried out in long-neglected areas, the more it improves the quality of life for local residents and mitigates polarization, the more successful the project is considered.

They pointed to the construction of social housing (affordable houses) as a representative means of alleviating polarization. Professor Michael Edwards said, "The UK faces a severe shortage of social housing for low-income groups, which has become a social issue," and advised, "Urban regeneration areas should exclude facilities for high-income groups such as upscale restaurants and luxury brand stores as much as possible and focus on supplying social housing." He added, "To increase social housing as needed, politicians must actively establish policies and lead financial investments."

Professor Matthew Carmona stated, "If urban regeneration is pushed forward without supplying sufficient social housing, gentrification will inevitably occur, pushing existing residents to the outskirts," and emphasized, "Planning must be developed jointly with local residents from the early stages of the project to guarantee the necessary amount of social housing in the area."

Professor Peter Bishop also identified communication with residents as the top priority. He said, "Since each area has different needs, it is important for stakeholders such as the government, residents, and developers to generate ideas and narrow gaps through endless dialogue," and added, "Even if it takes a long time, efforts to visit local residents directly and open websites to collect opinions are absolutely necessary."

Professor Bishop is well known for having met numerous citizens over six years while establishing the master plan during the London Kings Cross urban regeneration project he oversaw, gathering opinions not only on building construction but also on public facilities, green spaces, and land use. He explained, "It is impossible to reflect everyone's opinions, but the effort to listen to as many voices as possible is important in itself," and said, "Being transparent about the decision-making process can convince even residents who oppose the project."

They also agreed on the importance of the role of local governments. Professor Matthew Carmona said, "To communicate smoothly with residents, local governments, which better understand the local situation, should be granted significant authority," and argued, "The desirable role of the central government is to support local governments as much as possible in financing to facilitate smooth project implementation."

He added, "However, if all authority is given to local governments, there is a risk that they may be too easily swayed by residents' opinions," and emphasized, "A good balance must be maintained so that the project direction focuses on the public interest rather than residents' selfishness." Currently, the UK's urban regeneration policy broadly involves local communities and local governments planning project details, while the central government mainly handles project approval and financing cooperation.

Professor Peter Bishop said, "Urban regeneration should be planned and carried out consistently without being influenced by political agendas," and stressed, "It is important to strengthen the role of local governments so that the overall framework of urban regeneration policies can be maintained even when administrations change."

※This project was supported by the Press Promotion Fund, funded by government advertising fees.