Moscow looks to Manchester for inspiration
Moscow came to Manchester last week as senior governors from 18 of Russia’s 48 regions, including the Deputy Head of Government for Moscow undertook a week-long tour of successful regeneration projects across Manchester to find out how similar projects could be replicated in Russia.
The tour was arranged by Manchester Metropolitan University and is funded by the European Union’s £12million Managers Training Programme to enable officials in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to meet the challenge of restructuring in their countries. With Manchester’s wealth once based almost exclusively on manufacturing, many areas of the city experienced extensive social, economic and physical decline as those industries disappeared.
Prospering
Despite this, Manchester has survived and prospered and one key reason has been the city’s ability to recreate itself throughout the late 20th and early 21st Century, whilst retaining much of its heritage. The city is well placed to be held up as an example of successful redevelopment.
The tour kicked off with a lecture by Chrissie Gibson, Principal Lecturer in Urban Regeneration at MMU, Sara Todd, of Manchester City Council, on renewal and regeneration in Manchester and Erskine’s Simon Campbell who discussed the unique beyond masterplanning concept.
Throughout the week the Russian governors explored a range of redeveloped areas across Manchester, from inner city projects such as the Northern Quarter, the Triangle, Exchange Square and Urbis, to regeneration at Salford Quays, including the Lowry Centre and Media City, the Trafford Centre and in East Manchester.
Urban Splash
The governors also met with and attended talks by key figures in regeneration and economic development in Manchester, including those at Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Regional Development Agency, MIDAS, global engineers and planners Arup and award-winning property developers Urban Splash.
Chris Thomas, who works for the tourism department at MMU and organised the tour programme, says: “Manchester is a fantastic, forward-thinking city and the visit by the Russian governors is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the redevelopment we have already undertaken and our visions for the future. “It’s an honour to share our knowledge and expertise on areas such as urban regeneration, sustainable growth, encouraging investment, developing effective infrastructure, creating public/private partnerships and securing external funding. We hope the tour of Manchester will help develop a positive working relationship with Russia.”