by Algy Moncrieff

Created on: March 24, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

In the UK recently there has been a major decline in the manufacturing industry as factories relocate to cheaper countries such as China. But what happens to the workers? They lose their jobs, and since there is no work that they are trained to do in the city in which they live, they move house.

This happened all across the north of the country, the worst depopulation being in the city of Liverpool. The areas left behind were full of old, sub-standard housing, derelict industry, and pollution. The crime rate rose sharply, decent shops moved elsewhere, and huge areas of empty housing were created. The only advantages were lower prices...but people were poorer anyway.

This didn't just affect Liverpool though. Manchester, the London docklands, Newcastle and others were also affected.

So how do you encourage people back into the cities? It isn't easy - somehow you have to make the city attractive enough to drag people back again. Bulldozing the derelict buildings and rebuilding new houses is the first step, making the neighbourhoods more attractive, and thus reducing vandalism and other crimes.

Widening roads and improving the overall network helps to ease the congestion in city centres, reducing pollution. More schools, colleges, libraries and museums attract people and tourists to the city. Tourists bring money, people bring labour.

But if there are no jobs there is no use having labourers. To a certain extent, increased tourism will create jobs and increase affluence. But you really need decent sized developments such as the London Docklands Redevelopment and the West Quay shopping centre in Southampton. These create huge numbers of jobs, as well as providing useful shops and services for local people. Improving areas of parkland gives people leisure activities, and makes the place look nicer. New schools and hospitals look after people and again provide jobs, as well as producing a well-educated, healthy workforce to take the place of their parents.

Towards the end of the 20th century Liverpool worked hard to redevelop its inner city areas, and was finally awarded the prestigious status of "European Capital of Culture" for 2008. The city is now largely modernised, with projects such as the Paradise Project going on all across the city in order to rejuvenate the areas that were at risk of being totally forgotten and left to ruin.

It is only one success story however. The battle to save inner-city neighbourhoods does not always have such a happy ending, and requires vast amounts of cash.

The end result may be worth the effort but you try telling that to the government.

Learn more about this author, Algy Moncrieff.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.