Belfast City Council Good Relations Research Programme Good Practice in Local Area Planning in the Context of Promoting Good Relations Final Report Colm Bradley - Community Technical Aid Brendan Murtagh - Queen's University Belfast December 2007 Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures............................................................................................................................. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................................... 4 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Terms of Reference.......................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 What do we mean by local area planning? ...................................................................................... 6 1.3 Research Methodology .................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Report Structure............................................................................................................................... 7 2. PROBLEMS, POLICY AND GOOD RELATIONS ........................................................................................ 8 2.1 Planning, Segregation and Territoriality........................................................................................... 8 2.2 Policy Intervention............................................................................................................................ 9 2.3 Lessons from the Policy Review .................................................................................................... 11 3. SEVEN LESSONS FOR PRACTICE .......................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Lesson 1: A strategic Development Approach............................................................................... 12 3.2 Lesson 2: Spatial Planning and Ethnic Place Making.................................................................... 13 3.3 Lesson 3: Policy Instruments to Support Ethno-spatial Management ........................................... 14 3.4 Lesson 4: Labour Markets and Housing Markets .......................................................................... 16 3.5 Lesson 5: Public Realm and Connectivity...................................................................................... 17 3.6 Lesson 6: Governance and Inclusive Practice............................................................................... 19 3.7 Lesson 7: Skills and Managing Spatial Diversity ........................................................................... 19 3.8 Conclusions.................................................................................................................................... 20 4. RESEARCH FINDINGS .............................................................................................................................. 21 4.1 Duncairn Gardens: Northgate Comprehensive Development Area............................................... 21 4.2 Dunmore Housing Development North Belfast .............................................................................. 22 4.3 A Mixed Housing Community: Ballynafeigh ................................................................................... 23 4.4 The Gasworks Development.......................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Strategic Policy: Community Cohesion and the Housing Executive.............................................. 25 4.6 Case Study: Community Empowerment Partnerships................................................................... 26 4.7 British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA)........................................................................... 28 4.8 North Belfast Community Transport............................................................................................... 29 4.9 Strabane Community Hubs Programme ........................................................................................ 30 4.10 Suffolk and Lenadoon Local Peace Building Plan ......................................................................... 31 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................... 34 5.1 Policy Aims and Organisational Structures.................................................................................... 34 5.2 Political Leadership ........................................................................................................................ 36 5.3 Community Leadership .................................................................................................................. 36 5.4 Spaces of Hope.............................................................................................................................. 37 5.5 Shared Space................................................................................................................................. 39 5.6 Interface Planning Criteria.............................................................................................................. 40 5.7 Policy Instruments.......................................................................................................................... 40 5.8 Skills and Capacities ...................................................................................................................... 41 5.9 Connectivity and Mobility................................................................................................................ 41 5.10 Programme Indicators.................................................................................................................... 42 5.11 Conclusions.................................................................................................................................... 43 GLOSSARY..................................................................................................................................................... 45 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 46 ANNEX I: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................... 49 2 List of Tables and Figures Table 1 The Policy Related Effects of Segregation........................................................................................... 9 Table 2 The Regional Development Strategy and Community Cohesion....................................................... 10 Table 3 Strategic Level Planning and Ethnicity ............................................................................................... 13 Table 4 Conflict Resolution and Mediation in Bradford ................................................................................... 14 Table 5 Characteristics of Diversity by Direction Communities in the US....................................................... 15 Table 6 The Rotterdam Law ............................................................................................................................ 15 Table 7 Characteristics of Mixed Public Spaces ............................................................................................. 18 Table 8 Spaces of Risk.................................................................................................................................... 19 Table 9 Twelve Principles of Good Practice in Intercultural Engagement ...................................................... 20 Table 10 Criteria Set 1: Shared Housing Space ............................................................................................. 38 Table 11 Criteria Set 2: Mixed Public Space................................................................................................... 39 Table 12 Criteria Set 3: Planning and the Interface ........................................................................................ 40 Figure 1 Policy framework for spatial planning and good relations................................................................. 34 Figure 2 proposed council planning structures and strategic approach.......................................................... 35 3 Executive Summary This research examines the connection between good relations and local area planning in Belfast. It uses comparative analysis, case studies and semi-structured in-depth interviews to see where and how spatial planning can make an effective contribution to the management and development of the post-conflict city. The research showed that Belfast is working at multiple speeds with some parts of the city benefiting from economic growth and political stability and other parts left largely untouched by conflict transformation. In the progressing city, a rising housing market, gentrification and consumption lifestyles are accompanied by greater sharing, whilst segregation and resource competition characterise the other city losing out in economic and political restructuring. Segregation and interfacing have significant costs, which include production and consumption effects such as the dislocation of labour markets,