Melbourne - Cool Use Of Industrial Waste

A View On Urban Regeneration

Planners, politicians, city authorities and governments should focus more today on the regeneration of our city centres. Urban sprawl will continue at a global level and whilst the out-of-town shopping centre will continue to play its part, the focus on our inner cities has been less clear.

Certain countries are taking the lead in this area and the Czech Republic can learn from others. Traditionally industry was often located in sub-urban areas and these have mostly shifted away from populated zones to more remote locations, leaving development potential for regeneration.

Retail in the form of shopping centres can help bring life back to areas that industry once provided, and they are often seen as the heart of a community. Good progress has been made by many cities in identifying these locations, but the less restrictive and often obscure planning has led to many other projects being developed in competing locations, often limiting the potential of brown-field regeneration locations. Strategy at local government level should be more transparent; external advice should be sought and considered; and potential partnerships between public and private sector should also be looked at, if this is likely to benefit the community long-term.

Jonathan Hallet

Managing Partner, Czech Republic & Slovakia

Cushman & Wakefield

Na Prikope 1, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic

Toronto - Green City