The role of the public sector in the regeneration of deprived urban areas: Case studies from Krakow in Poland and Kirklees in the UK

Urban regeneration is a complex, long-lasting and continuous process, based on the cooperation of all stakeholders, and includes complementary projects undertaken by the public and private sectors. It covers several types of changes: spatial, economic, social, cultural and ecological. Usually, local authorities are the originators of change, and they prepare a programme of change and provide limited public investment, giving the impetus for further transformation of the area. Urban transformations integrate the commitments of the public and private sectors, residents of the transformed area and other stakeholders. As a result, the area positively influences the sustainable development of the city or town as a whole. This results in increased competitiveness of the city or town compared with other cities or towns. In this paper, urban regeneration activities in Krakow, Poland are discussed to show how projects resulting from public and private sector investment can transform a deprived area into an exciting city centre. The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in the UK is also put forward as a model regeneration initiative, demonstrating how public consultation for proposed solutions to deprivation strengthens citizens’ involvement with regeneration plans and thereby can ensure that the most important requirements of the residents are met by regeneration projects.