New Labour’s Deployment of Community as a Key Concept in Urban Regeneration

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Community could be defined as a combination of diverse set of people, culturally, religiously and socially living in particular area within the society. It is a very important fabric of a nation, a potential catchment or targeted area that could be easily marked out for service delivery. Community could also be a good source of strength to propagate or enhance effectiveness of public services. It is a solid nucleus and most importantly in terms of unity and ability to adopt a common front in dealing with society issues. It is also an important channel to expressing individual civic responsibilities and promotion of racial harmony within the concept of opportunities –for- all. Without doubt, community within the regeneration as deployed by New Labour under its Urban Regeneration is based on these factors and achievable targets. New Labour’s path to making services reach the citizens more effectively and preventing potential societal problems which in the long run create a better and equal society within its Urban Regeneration regime. It comes not without its ambiguities and challenges in terms of implementations, practical aspects, mitigating factors and the realities of critical and contesting argument for and against its effectiveness on the community in relation to contemporary New Labour Urban Regeneration. Pre- New Labour Era Prior to ascension of New Labour to power in 1997, Imrie R and Raco M eds. (2003) argue that the state of structural decay within the local community albeit concerted efforts from previous government was deteriorating fast. This due to a big disparity between the economic success of corporate companies and a dwindling and bleak economic prospect of local communities in terms of housing, ... ... middle of paper ... ...is going through the parliament .Nevertheless, bits of success of New Labour lingers in the memory and ruins of discontinued landmarks and displaced communities will be in our social conscience as either bad or not far reaching enough. Works Cited Brownill, S (1990). Developing London’s Docklands: Another Great Planning Disaster? London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd. Bury, R. (2012). Choice based letting a cause of ethnic segregation .Available: http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/choice-based-lettings-a-cause-of-ethnic- segregation/6514366.article. Last accessed Cochrane, A (2007).Understanding Urban Policy. Oxford: Blackwell. Imrie R, Lees, L & Raco, M (2009). Regenerating London. London: Imrie, R & Raco, M (2003).Urban Renaissance? New Labour, Community and Urban Policy. London: The Policy Press. 14

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