Looking at regeneration practice elsewhere
One of the longer-term objectives of CREW is to look internationally at good regeneration practice and I recently took the opportunity of a family visit to Sydney to explore some of the regeneration projects which have made Sydney such an important destination city. Darling Harbour and its Cockle Bay waterfront development stand out as a major achievement in bringing an old harbour side site into modern usage for tourism, leisure and the restaurant trade. A landmark ‘water-feature’ which stretches for about 600 metres and presents the passerby with a different display every few metres is a clear example of public realm enhancement on a grand scale which adds significant character to the location.
However, I also made very favourable comparisons with the Cardiff Bay waterfront, albeit on a smaller scale but achieving a similar renewal of old industrial harbour side. The context in Australia was of course one of a much better economy, fuelled by the commodity market with China. With the housing market looking like London in 2005, there was an inevitable sense of a bubble set for burst, but for the moment the economy continues to grow, the demand for immigrant workers seems insatiable and the Australian dollar remains at an all time high. Every bar seems full of young Irish people taking advantage of the situation and looking beyond Europe for economic opportunity. There seems no comparable flow of Welsh youth yet despite the dearth of economic opportunities here.
Research closer to home
CREW has just completed a study of young people’s transitions from school to work, education or training and the lack of aspiration evident in many of the young people who took part in the research is very depressing. Many have simply accepted a future characterised by the same unemployment experienced by their parents and find it impossible to navigate their way through the careers service and training available. Much of the latter does not suit their needs or the current needs of the economy and we seem to be collectively missing the opportunities to grow new industries in Wales which contribute to a low carbon future. The full report will be published shortly and will be available from the CREW website.
CREW has also been examining the skills needs in relation to low carbon futures for the professional services within the regeneration and built environment sector. The research by Richard Essex of the Regeneration Skills Collective and Christina Hirst of RICS highlights the professions’ perspectives on future skills needs and the current gaps in provision that exist. Based on a wide ranging consultation and an online survey, the report will be used to develop a training framework to meet the demands of building the low carbon future. The work has been completed in partnership with Construction Skills and will be published on the CREW website.
Events
We are also busy at CREW developing the next phase of our events programme with the centre piece being a conference on Rural Regeneration on 7 July 2011. To be held in Dolfor near Newtown, the conference addresses the key themes of Regenerating, People, Places and Economy and focuses on the specific challenges of delivering regeneration in the rural context. Details available from the CREW website or contact jenny-horton@chcymru.org.uk for programme and bookings.
We are also currently developing a ‘cross-border’ event to be held initially in Bristol with a reciprocal event in Wales. Working in partnership with Creating Excellence, the West of England Centre of Excellence in Regeneration, we will explore some of the common themes in the Bristol and South East Wales regions and specifically examine examples of the re-use of industrial buildings and sites for regeneration purposes. Keep an eye on the website for details which will be made available as soon as the arrangements are finalised. We are also intending to develop a similar event looking at the linkages between North Wales and the North West of England.
Graduate placement scheme
CREW has also recently established its Graduate Placement Scheme which is intended to link recent graduates with opportunities to gain experience in the regeneration sector. We hope to improve graduate retention in Wales and to provide opportunities for recent graduates to experience working in the regeneration sector. In return, placement hosts will get the energy and enthusiasm of a new graduate together with their skills and knowledge. Full details for both potential hosts and graduates are available on the CREW website.
More information
For further information about these and all CREW’s activities including our work on Health Impact Assessment, measuring regeneration impact, case studies and toolkits please visit www.regenwales.org.uk.
Alternatively, keep updated by following us on Twitter at ProfDaveadamson and Facebook at the Centre for Regeneration Excellence Wales. You can also join one of our Thematic Networks at our website to automatically receive copies of all reports and similar resources.