Neil Fraser
May 26, 2003
CITICHAT has been focusing on the international cities scene for a number of weeks. This is because I have been overseas for two ten day periods during the last four weeks so it made sense to appraise you of the latest happenings in the various cities in which I have been working.
I've just returned from the US, having spent a couple of days en-route in London where I had an opportunity to catch up on the progress there in regard to the establishment of Business Improvement District (BIDs) - locally known as City Improvement Districts (CIDs).
With regards to urban revitalisation, England is somewhat different to both the USA and here in that Central Government takes a strong lead by setting a national Urban Renewal Strategy that local authorities work within.
They also provide various forms of incentives to local authorities in the form of financial support or matching finance for programmes that will promote the strategy.
For many years, one of the strategic focuses has been to protect their traditional 'High Streets', which has resulted in severely curtailing laissez faire shopping centre development.
In addition, they have supported the development of strong City Centre Management, which has also resulted in the establishment of a number of partnerships between public and private sector.
Recently, there has also been a tacit acceptance of the fact that many local authorities have not been able, for a variety of reasons, to maintain prime their High Street retail, business and other areas at satisfactory levels.
As a result they have turned to the highly successful North American model of BIDs. So, following some years of research into BIDs operating in the USA, it was decided to implement an approach that would culminate in the establishment of a large number of BIDs to be operationalised as soon as enabling legislation could be promulgated.
The BIDs would, as in the USA and here in South Africa, provide supplementary services and programmes that would rejuvenate and sustain the vitality and viability of their urban centres. The American model reflects an average gestation period of about two years in setting up a BID (here it ranges from between 6 and 12 months).
The UK government have therefore provided a large sum of money to cover the costs of research and the establishment of various pilot BIDs. With their process starting at about the same time as our initial investigations into the intervention back in 1992/3, they have chosen a slow and cautious approach with legislation only now in its final stages and anticipated to be approved and in place by April next year.
This is all very civilised and quite different to what has been done in South Africa. In our case, we (the Central Johannesburg Partnership - CJP) set up a voluntary pilot Improvement District in Joburg in 1993 following research in the USA.
All of this was funded by the private sector. Between the CJP and our 'sister' company Partnerships for Urban Renewal (PUR), we have established (and manage) a number of BIDs in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area but generally at the cost of the private sector only.
A number of years down the BID track when other cities decided to follow our lead, the local authorities concerned provided funding for research or establishment or both. It is refreshing to see a national government recognising the value of the product and being prepared to put their money where their mouth is in supporting its widespread establishment.
This they have done through the creation of a very broad Pilot Project approach. The National Objectives for the Pilot Project are to
- Test BIDs in a variety of locations
- Establish required levels and nature of managerial competence and skills
- Produce reliable guidance on operational, training and recruitment issues
- Identify resources, timescales, mechanisms and measurement needed
- Test and validate the role of the wide range of partner agencies involved
- Produce a good practice document and electronic information bank
- Define a process which is simple, open and inclusive
- Build capacity
- Validate guidance and inform secondary legislation
- Identify pitfalls
The two organisations that I briefly visited earlier this week and that have been entrusted with overseeing the establishment of pilot project BIDs were the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) - with whom we in the CJP have enjoyed a working relationship for some years - and the Central London Partnership (CLP).
ATCM were entrusted with setting up 'pilots' in 22 towns and cities. The overall aim of the pilots is to ensure that when the enabling legislation is promulgated, the selected areas will be able to immediately and successfully seek the necessary mandate to establish BIDs. Thus the pilots guide a number of selected locations through the process of establishing BIDs and, at the same time, ensure that the persons involved in the processes obtain the practical experience needed to run a BID.
Almost 100 towns and cities applied to be part of the BID pilot process being managed by ATCM.
A short list of 53 was developed and 22 finally selected by applying specific criteria relative to location, population, leadership and existing partnerships. They include cities such as Birmingham and Bristol, Coventry and Manchester, Liverpool and Lincoln.
During the two years of the programme prior to the promulgation of enabling legislation, the pilot BIDs are evaluated so that ATCM can "build a bank of practical experience, a central electronic BIDs information sytem and produce a best practice document regarding BIDs which will benefit locations for years to come."
The other organisation visited was the CLP who received a grant of 4,6 million (roughly R50 million) over a five-and-a-quarter year period through which they have established the Circle Initiative Learning Network which is responsible for shepherding five BIDs in the London area into existence.
The five areas that have been chosen for their pilot BIDs have been specifically identified in a range of different areas, are being developed in a variety of ways and are tackling a whole host of issues. The following are the five CLP 'pilots' together with the issues they have to address:
- Better Bankside, which falls under the London Borough of Southwark, is a mixed commercial, retail and residential area with traditional high streets, significant visitor attractions and is an important transport node. The programme focuses on 'clean, green and safe'. It aims to improve the quality of the environment, further develop the appeal of the area, whilst increasing the sense of security for the residents, employees and visitors alike and ensuring that better and sustainable maintenance and management arrangements are in place.
- Circle Waterloo falls under the Local Borough of Lambeth and is a traditional high street with street market theatres and restaurants adjacent to the major London station, Euroterminal and tourist sites. The aim is to create a thriving town centre and heart for Waterloo for the benefit of those who live and work and visit the area and one that is more cared for and safer.
- Holborn, in the London Borough of Camden, is a commercial centre integrating historic and contemporary buildings with public spaces and residential areas. The aim of the Holborn Business Partnership is to make Holborn a quality destination for investment and a great place to work, live and visit. It is well advanced in its planning and has a wide range of support.
- Paddington Circle falls under the Westminster City Council. It is again a traditional high street area adjacent to the well-known mainline railway station with neighbouring large scale mixed use development. The main focus is Praed Street which forms an interface between the new developments at Paddington Waterside and existing business and residential areas. Paddington Circle is concentrating on a number of highly visible demonstration projects in the Praed Strreet area and seeks to position the street as a prosperous and vibrant retail and leisure location within Paddington Waterside.
- The Piccadilly Circus Partnership is another pilot BID in the Westminster City Council area and is a partnership forged between private landowners and the local authority,. The issues it is attempting to address are the cluttered and dirty street environment, illegal street trading, high levels of crime and anti social behaviour, narrow and cramped pedestrian walkways and inadequate street lighting. The vision is to achieve a clean and safe environment in the short term while the long term aspiration is to ensure that the area continues as a vital and cosmopolitan business and retail centre promoting Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square as the heart of London's film, theatre entertainment and leisure scene.
I find it very encouraging that so many of the issues being tackled in London and the other 22 towns and cities are identical to those that we are dealing with and that the vehicle they have chosen to address such issues is the same as that which we have utilised. We could of course have been far further down the track if we had received similar support to that which the British Government is providing but then again maybe we wouldn't have as many BIDs up and running if we were being dictated to by the authorities.
It was good to see a young South African on the Central London Partnership team, her folks are active in the Pretoria CID scene so it will provide quality transference of experience which is good for the CID 'industry' in South Africa.
Want to learn more about:
- Urban Renewal Strategies in South Africa, the UK and USA?
- City (Business) Improvement Districts - CIDs and BIDs - in those three countries?
- The Wardens Scheme being implemented in the UK through their Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Unit? It has great applicability in this country.
Well, mark your diaries 26 to 28 August this year when a number of specialists from those countries will be in Johannesburg to share with us - watch this space!
