Urban Development Corporations (UDCs), Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs), and Special Delivery Vehicles are integral components of development delivery systems in the United Kingdom. Firstly, In half a page you are asked to assess and rank these mechanisms according to their efficiency and workability. Subsequently, as a planner providing advisory services to a city mayor (in this case, hypothetically pick a city of your choice ), recommend the most favourable delivery method and elucidate the rationale for the selection. It’s important to note that the choice of a delivery method should be context-specific, as different projects and areas may require tailored approaches. Collaboration, transparency, and a focus on long-term community benefits should guide the decision-making process when selecting a development delivery system.
Urban & Environmental Studies 
Yasmin, Lavinia, Shannon
Rank the mechanisms according to their efficiency and workability.
Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) – has the best reputation and is the most efficient as it has completed 763 projects which is more than the other companies. It is also a very specific company as it brings land and buildings into effective use. It also encourages the development of new industries. On the contrary, UDCs have lack of community involvement, damages the natural environment, its property led, and business focused. The change is very quickly but it is democratically deficient because they have more power over planning and compulsory purchase. This means that is more likely that everyone’s interest is considered.
Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) – URCs are less controversial than UDCs. They are also less efficient, and the workability is difficult as it does not have planning and compulsory purchase powers, because there is no government involvement. It is also time limited and more focused on delivery regeneration. Therefore, they are the least flexible. The workability is limited because the private sector is becoming responsible for the social side of it, this is not successful because they aren’t as interested as there’s not government involvement.
Special Delivery Vehicles – this is also very efficient as it is very specific in what the project is and only focuses on the project. they are government funded, therefore, has planning and compulsory purchase powers.
Manchester Advisory Service to a City:
UDCs would be a good choice of planning advisory services to Manchester as they focus as its already integrated in the delivery system as its public and private sector based. It would also be a good choice as Manchester’s aim is to deliver new homes in line with Zero Carbon commitments and Housing Strategy. UDCs have more planning power and compulsory purchases as the governments. It’s also property led, and business focused, it’s also a very quick process which covers other important issues like homelessness as Manchester is a fast-growing city. As UDCs have completed the most projects, they should have the most expert advice on services which is also a main factor when deciding. Because UDCs are public and private sector funding, it can be more localized which means they can focus on what is more important for the community.
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Urban Development Corporations or UDCs are an important part of the Government initiative for their “Action for Cities” which several departments are under will further push urban regeneration through a multitude of programmes, One of the few problems with UDCs is that it is mainly business and property focused/led and it lacks the involvement from the community and is usually done for one specific purpose instead of several different reasons. It usually needs a lot of funding to begin to get underway which can be difficult. URCs or Urban Regeneration Companies are private UDCs that want to achieve a sufficient physical transformation to the areas around the United Kingdom through master planning and coordinating financial assistance to developers from the public sector and the private sector but the problem with this is that if the cost of living in that area rising to a point that is too great for the URCs to handle they will have to relocate to a different area and this can be terrible for the area that they are looking to regenerate, They can be very successful when the main focus is making improvements in the living environment. Special Delivery Vehicles or the Olympic Delivery Authority was created for the London Olympics games in 2012 which allowed the ODA to buy, sell and hold land and make arrangements for buildings to be changed for the betterment of the athletes that will be at the games and to further the growth of the United Kingdom, this also made the local planning authority for the area. However, this meant that it needed a lot of funding for the plan to get underway the project was approximately 9 billion Pounds which makes it the least efficient and workable out of the three.
The city that I will be picking is the city of Bristol and the development delivery system that will make the most sense for this city is the UDC because it will focus on a multitude of problems that Bristol is facing because they need to repurpose a lot of areas in the city so that they will because more useful to the city and the communities that sound that area that will need to be redeveloped/repurposed. It will also require the least amount of funding. It will take the least amount of time to get started and implement wthe schemes and plans that the Bristol City Council already have in the pipeline. Still, they will need to make sure that they are on the same trajectory as the Council is aiming for and the timeline in which they plan to complete all of their projects.
By Njabulo Cele
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Name: Charlie, Norb, Anson
For different components of development systems are important within certain context of a site. Special delivery vehicles are the least flexible meaning they are good for certain framework for example the Olympics authorities which is effective in the delivery and maintenance of the Olympic Park and the surrounding communities. It is publicly funded, which might be controversial if the project has been to be unsuccessful.
Urban regeneration companies highlight the importance of partnership which include multiple stakeholders they coordinate and deliver sustainable regenerations by engaging private sectors with the local authorities. Therefore, raising funds from public and private sectors URCs tend to have a longer time investment within the regeneration of a site and prove less controversial UDCs they rely on local authorities which can limit their development.
Urban development cooperations regenerate areas to suitable conditions for private sector development. Their powers override local authorities and give them more flexibility and control. They are funded by central government and have wider time frames than URCs. They are effective but controversial as their business focus and lack of community focused. They are also a driver of gentrification.
A city should consider all options when planning and development special deliveries vehicles are unlikely choices for most development for offer two options on the contexts of the site for example a place that needs greenfield development would pick UDCs over URCs whereas brownfield developments would more likely choose a URC.
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James And Ewan
A new Government ambition has been Urban Regenerative Companies (URCs) in addition to ‘the original’ Urban Development Companies (UDCs) and unlike the UDCs, URC don’t have the same funding, authority and ownership of land. Due to this they will struggle to achieve regeneration in any area that they do not have full control under.
In order for URCs to be effective they must depend on local planning authorities to support their work due to their lack of power. Without the Local Planning Authorities, they’re limited in what they can do legally and their funding matches their powers.
On the other hand UDC abilities and powers are far more broad due to being given development and building control powers in Urban Development Areas. The ownerships of land is dominated by UDC due to their large budgets and powers enabling them to buy land. While URC only have a few sites that they own and they need to exploit key partners land banks. The UDC is funded by the DOE (Department Of Education, Government) and the SRB whereas URC have their funding from key partners only.
Ultimately, UDC are superior in terms of their workability and efficiency due to government funding and planning or compulsory purchase powers and do not need to rely on key partners.
To advise the Mayor of Cardiff we would recommend the UDC delivery due to it’s quicker pace in terms of funding and planning permission due to being part of the Government. This will also help to make sure all new developments will not need to be retrofitted and that will meet all energy requirements to then help the city and country of Wales to have a Net Carbon of zero. Also UDCs has funding from the public and private sectors meaning that they have more interest in what the people and businesses of Cardiff need.
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Group Workshop – Week 3: Implementation in Planning
URCs
– 20 URCs
– They don’t have any planning or compulsory purchase powers, so all they did is incentivise new investment from other areas and companies. It’s very unpowerful legally and cannot enforce much through this.
UDCs
– UDCs have statutory basis meaning they have legal power to enforce rules such as bringing land and buildings back into effective use.
– Funded by government so far more efficient and regular than URCs as they don’t have to apply for permission when implementing their developments.
Special Delivery Vehicles
– Decides for building works, and their installation of transport and other infrastructure.
– Was established for the London Olympics. Basically, is formed for the planning of huge projects such as the Olympics so there are less restrictions on the new developments.
– Does make this method very efficient because it completely minimises restrictions of going through processes to get the permission to advance these restrictions.
City for advice: Norwich
– We recommend a UDC.
– The rationale we are elucidating for this selection is much simpler and more efficient because it is passed through governments authorities.
– They are far more regular to pass as they are directly involved with government decision making rather than an individually ran project.
– This scheme brings land into effective use, creates an attractive environment, and encourages the development of existing and new industry and commerce.
– Norwich is a city that is struggling to progress, so further introducing these measures will likely improve the regeneration and a project like this in an area which is calling for development will be the perfect project for this schemer.
Cameron and George
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UDCs vs URCs vs Special Delivery Vehicles
Urban Development Corporations (UDCs), Urban Regeneration Companies and Special Delivery Vehicles (Such as The Olympic Delivery Authority – ODA) are all delivery systems in the UK with different aims.
1-Urban Development Corporations (UDCs)
UDCs can be highly efficient in delivering urban development projects because of the substancial powers, resources and expertise at their disposal due to being government backed.
They can also be very effective where there is a clear mandate with political support, however, can on occasion face some resistance from local communities around projects.
2-Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs)
These companies tend to be more adaptable and are able to efficiently use both public and private sector resources to revitalize urban areas.
They can work well when focusing on community engagement as they tend to be more flexible and community focused. They also have to contend with stakeholders as a private entity.
3-Special Delivery Vehicles
These types of companies are typically set up to complete one specific project so efficiency can depend on both the objectives for the project and the capabilities of those involved.
They can work effectively on the specific project they were created for however lack the long-term planning and community engagement shown by both UDCs and URCs.
Project in Bristol
An Urban Development Corporation (UDC) would be the best option for a project in Bristol. This is because of its top-down approach which would help to address the city’s urban development needs. Bristol is a rapidly growing urban area with diverse challenges including the need for infrastructure development, housing development and economic revitalization. UDCs have a solid track record with large scale transformative projects such as what would be needed in Bristol’s urban landscape.
Thomas & Mikey
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Group Project 3 -Brooke, Ella, Louie
Urban Regeneration Companies
-achieve transformation of their areas through masterplanning and co-ordinating financial assistance to developers from both the public and private sector.
-many locals in a regenerated area may be forced to relocate elsewhere
Urban Development Corporation
– facilitating urban regeneration in specific areas
-the purpose of regenerating a specific designated area
-the majority of UDC development was to benefit wealthier, middle-class professionals, with the increase in luxury flats and service sector jobs
– lost huge sums of money during the property crash
-ignore the needs of the socials
Special Delivery Vehicles
-less restriction on the new development
-very effective because of the unnecessarily of permisssion on the infrastructure
City: Bristol
Method: UDCs
– focused on the Broadmead and Castle Park area
-encourage long-term changes to be coordinated across the area
UDCs contribute to urban regeneration through a variety of different programmes and are established in different areas of England to regenerate designated areas by creating the correct conditions for a private sector for investment and development. This is an efficient mechanism as it encourages the development of existing industry commerce, which helps the environment that’s been developed to be of use and not go to waste, whilst not wasting new land. The workability of UDCs is also sufficient as something like creating an attractive environment as Bristol want to forcus more on the castle park development as well to attain more environmental friendly place, which UDCs can provide as much flexibility as they can to support their development.
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