Urban regeneration companies and their institutional setting: Prevailing instabilities within the West Midlands, England

Abstract

Urban regeneration companies were adopted by the UK government during the 2000s as a property-orientated economic development initiative. Compared to earlier urban development corporations, urban regeneration companies lacked dedicated funding and depended upon the planning and regeneration capabilities of partner agencies. Evaluative perspectives on urban regeneration companies have often been favourable, though the depth and breadth of analysis has been limited, particularly beyond three core city pilots. Outstanding institutionalist questions remain about the diverse settings within which urban regeneration companies operated and their relationship with local authorities. Drawing on interviews this paper investigates the reasons for and operation of three West Midlands-based urban regeneration companies, all within the de-industrialising Black Country sub-region. Rather than early support for government steering towards partnership working, attention is drawn to evidence of pragmatism, resistance and compromise. The potential for local institutional dynamics to influence the stability of regeneration initiatives is then acknowledged as illustrated by officer level tensions associated with existing projects, experiential learning and ground level outcomes. Compared to prevailing urban regeneration company perspectives, the Black Country urban regeneration companies lost momentum prior to national austerity. Future questions remain about appropriate forms of regeneration within smaller settlements with problematic industrial legacies and the capacity of local authorities to advance collaborative forms of regeneration.