In cities struck by economic downturn and decay, we might hear the term ‘urban regeneration’ bandied round as a catalyst for improvement. But it’s about more than just throwing money at a problem. Young Leader alumni Luis Obregon argues that, when done well, regeneration can confidently deal with the social and political challenges of ‘dying’ urban centres – and entire cities too.
Good news! Urban regeneration can revive areas of cities that have fallen on hard times, bringing prosperity to local communities, usually in the form of financing coupled with the physical transformation of the built environment.
In the UK it has even become a political point scorer, with the government’s policies seeking to boost the fortunes of deprived locales in line with more prosperous regions.
So, it seems a no-brainer that leaders in struggling city regions would welcome the opportunity to turn a desperate situation around. But regeneration is complex and faces a multitude of challenges – urban, economic, political, and especially social.
A Truro Opportunity
“A project that could revitalise an entire region demands vision and dedication,” Luis Obregon tells us. It’s a lot of work.
Originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Luis trained and practiced as an architect before focusing his work as an Urban Planning advisor for various local governments in Latin America – Mexico, Cuba, Bolivia, and Panama. During this time, he implemented holistic planning and urban sustainability strategies for cities like Cienfuegos in Cuba and El Alto in Bolivia.
In 2022, our CityChanger accepted a role at Inner Circle (ICC) which handed him the opportunity to work on projects across various UK cities and London boroughs. A significant proportion of this work has been in Cornwall, where Luis has contributed to the Pydar project.
The urban regeneration project set in Truro proposes building around 300 new mixed-use homes – a third of them affordable – as well as spaces for social gathering, greenery, and cultural celebration; new sustainable transport infrastructure; and a business and innovation centre for students and small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
Sounds great! However, “it’s been a real challenge for the team, to get it approved and off the ground,” Luis says.
Austerity – harsh cuts to the UK’s public spending – has been a major barrier, stretching local authorities up and down the country. That’s made any kind of big or long-term investment a struggle.
But people need places to live, as the recent change in government acknowledges. So Pydar did eventually get political approval. Communities need more than just homes to thrive though. So the next question is, what’s there for the people who move in?
How Stagnation Occurs
In the past, Truro underwent reasonable growth due to mining and other industries. In recent decades, however, the town has struggled to sustain the economic momentum that once established it as a main hub in Cornwall. A major reason for this is the lack of opportunities for younger generations.
Historically, Truro was the ‘go-to place,’ serving as a hub for work, shopping, entertainment, and leisure for both locals and the surrounding region. Unfortunately, with the rise of home delivery and online shopping, high streets across the country have experienced a decline in visitors. This trend was further accelerated by the impact of COVID-19.
Following this trend, the decline of Truro’s status as the retail centre of the region has led to general stagnation: entertainment and leisure options are limited, and the private rental market for housing is virtually non-existent, Luis tells us.
For young residents it means that access to the provisions they need to thrive – jobs, affordable housing, quality transport – have become even more challenging.
The demographic make-up of rural Cornwall presents another challenge.
Our CityChanger tells us that “today’s population growth is largely driven by the influx of residents that are aged 65-plus”. In Pydar Street, where the project will be situated, “38.2% of the population” fall into this age group, and “the highest percentage of population in the area is aged 75 to 79”.
Is there any wonder that Truro has become a place known for retirement and later-living facilities?
An ageing population, while important for local spending in healthcare, leisure, and daily needs, can also limit investments in education facilities, transport, and job infrastructure.
A Blight of Opportunity
Truro is typical of twentieth century city planning, especially given the populations’ dependency on motor vehicles – forced, because of the lack of public options.
It too has little tenure diversity; mostly private renting (19.7%) and family housing (66.2%). Social renting limps in third at just over 12%.
Even the student digs that would bring in a fresh, youthful cohort are scarce.
Luis explains that, without intervention, this can spell the end of a once thriving city centre: young generations get disillusioned and move away, and the dwindling workforce fails to attract new business, creating a vicious cycle of deprivation.
If young people don’t have opportunities, they’re going to leave.
Meanwhile, the concentration of detached houses with private plots of land is favoured by older, conservative demographics who are largely opposed to change.
Complicating matters further, second home ownership and properties set aside to accommodate holiday makers add to a local housing shortage, pricing young buyers out of the market.
“You will have a failing place and an infrastructure that is just going to derail if you don’t invest in it.”
According to Luis, though, Pydar aims to challenge the status quo.
“The vision is to offer new ways of living, learning, working, and playing. Multi-generational living is at the heart of the project, with a proposal for mixed-tenure housing and fully accessible public space within walking distance from Truro’s downtown.”
Most young people, Luis explains, are more receptive to the idea of dense city living, where they can be close to amenities. Maybe this will get them to stay, or even return.
More Political Pains
So, regeneration could offer an ‘out’ – a chance to transform stagnant cities into places where people thrive and want to be. But there’s still a political barrier to overcome.
Alongside diverse residential options and job creation, attractive urban density requires a mix of commercial spaces and amenities – like entertainment centres, healthcare, public parks, etc. – all in proximity.
Luis has seen UK cities “struggle to provide that”.
That’s because local decision-makers – normally an affluent, aging demographic – usually opt for what benefits them most personally, rather than actions that will establish better conditions for future generations.
“Voting mechanisms allow you to see that there is 100 percent support for a project, but if it does not support the ruling party’s position, whoever makes that decision will just kill it.”
At a local level, it whiffs of NIMBY-ism – not a resistance to change, as long as it’s not on one’s doorstep.
“There is no doubt that it comes from the way that people relate to their spaces, through where they live and the issues that they face.”
Issues like the inflated cost of living, housing shortages, and poor job opportunities.
The Long-Term Vision of Regeneration
That’s why regeneration must be a holistic solution, offering jobs and services as well as new homes for those who need it most.
While Pydar would offer this in Truro, it came very close to not happening when high interest rates briefly threatened to derail the project in late 2023.
That’s when the true value of public sector support shone through, prioritising the long-term impact for places and communities.
It’s not the same for the private model: “It is evident that, when conducting a development appraisal for measuring the profit of any development, a private sector developer would be interested in a greater returns,” Luis explains. “That would allow for the asset to be sold and the money to be reinvested.”
However, through the lens of the public sector, investment takes on a longer vision, he says.
As Truro’s regeneration promises long-term socio-economic value for all residents and the region, in March 2024, Cornwall Council decided to “invest a discretionary amount to continue to develop the project”: a decision driven by the Council’s interest to retain ownership of the site for the foreseeable future.
Their investment is a brave one, banking on interest rates stabilising to make it easier to re-negotiate rates in the next few years, Luis tells us. If cities are going to pick up the pace on progress, more councils may have to start taking such risks.
Longer-term investment is becoming more the rule than the exception.
Spaces for Change & Resistance
Truro’s revival is now closer to being realised. But what does it take to actually get regeneration started?
When Luis and his colleagues parachute in to support a council with local challenges, they start by helping the authority identify which of the community needs should be prioritised, and then how to plug capacity gaps in order to address them. Here are some of their successes so far:
Food for Thought
Just after COVID-19, some London boroughs were dealing with increased unemployment and, consequently, food poverty.
The team leveraged the council to make funding available for the (now award-winning) Nourish Hub, based on the Oz Harvest model of redistributing food earmarked for disposal.
What really caught the public imagination was how community cooperation was sewn in at every stage.
With citizen input, this initiative responded directly to the immediate issues. Much more than just a food bank, it provided a physical space where beneficiaries could jointly access psychological, social, and family support from experts stationed “within the building at all times”.
Gaining Political Traction
Cornwall has around 2,000 natural assets, Luis tells us, which locals and tourists enjoy year-round. That demand makes their accessibility a priority, which in turn means they need to be maintained.
So, Cornwall Council brought in ICC to work on a strategy to deliver value running parallel with their obligations to the public and the environment. The solution: reduce expenditure through efficient asset management.
This is not unique to Cornwall, Luis is quick to point out. Councils are becoming aware of the fact that caring for assets without support and a strategy placed an increasing strain on resources and costs.
Cornwall dealt with this by using geographical information system (GIS) tools to prove value – to define and monitor metrics like footfall and how well the assets attract business. The local commission then uses these measurements to inform decision-making processes.
But, Luis says, most of his involvement in jobs like this is about keeping council departments on track and reminding city leaders of their planning responsibilities to future generations.
“A lot of it is championing progress, decision-making within councils and within government – to support them in their decision to say, ‘Yes, let’s keep on investing in this because it makes sense and because it will provide long-term value to the community.’”
Forging a Career Path in Change
As a young professional, Luis empathises with Truro’s local populations who feel pushed out and under-resourced.
He reminds us that no one is powerless to make a difference.
Urban development, regeneration, and economic resilience were not areas Luis intended to work in when he first went off to university. But having recognised the need for it in cities across the globe, our CityChanger forged his own path – and shares sage words for anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps.
Skill McGill – Tips from a Young Leader
The first step “is opening doors for yourself that you know will allow you to follow your interests and passions”.
Luis identified people on platforms like LinkedIn and simply sent them messages. (Browsing the CityChangers community might also be a good place to find suitable matches.)
“You could learn from that person just by having a conversation. It’s a little bit about networking, but it’s also about what you could learn from someone who you see is doing something you’re interested in.”
He advocates proactively asking if they have any opportunities available to budding CityChangers. That’s how Luis secured himself a role within the Urban Economic Office of Milan’s municipality while pursuing his master’s degree. They didn’t have such a programme, but that didn’t stand in his way!
“I knew I wanted to be involved in local government and understand how it worked because I was coming from an architectural background. I literally went online, found the address of one of the directors in the innovation office, and sent her an email.”
His initiative paid off. It’s also a clever move from cities willing to nurture that enthusiasm: they’re shaping the next generation of civic innovators, from which the local authority and citizens can only benefit.
“That’s where I decided that I wanted to always be involved with governments and the city. That’s where I came to love city management, promoting decision-making, and learnt how to roll-out public initiatives that champion public participation.”
Never Stop Being Inspired
This learning – and motivation – would be reinforced when Luis joined the Urban Future Young Leaders programme.
Making junior level connections like this is crucial, he says. It’s the basis for knowledge exchange at an international level, and it doesn’t cease when the conference ends:
I could call or text all of these people to ask, ‘How did you face this issue?’
This helps keep the enthusiasm for CityChanging alive when the challenges seem overbearing.
“Throughout your professional life, you need to still be inspired. It’s a lot of years. It’s a lot of hard work. If you don’t continue to inspire yourself by being in those spaces and being with other people, then it’s very easy to give up.”
Luis has taken the spirit of the Young Leader Programme with him to other professional groups, forming strong bonds with like-minded people in, for example, The Housing Forum.
That’s because, like he’s discovered in Truro, it takes more than a good idea to put cities on the right track. We need suitable allies and the relevant knowledge to inform the right decisions.
“If you’re not within the system, you won’t make any change,” Luis concludes. “You have to make change from within, you have to learn how it works in order to say, ‘This is how we could change it.’”
With the ‘could’ and ‘how’ sorted, the ‘doing’ comes much easier.