1. INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
1.1 This report has been prepared for Communities Analytical Services and the Regeneration Division within the Housing and Regeneration Directorate. It is a desk based report. It aims to:
- provide an understanding of the current context for geographically focused community regeneration in Scotland;
- explore the impacts of previous community regeneration interventions; and
- outline the challenges for policy makers in developing effective community regeneration approaches in the future.
1.2 The findings from this research formed the basis for a presentation at the Scottish Government Tackling Multiple Deprivation in Communities Evidence Event on 2 June 2009.
1.3 In writing the report we have reviewed the existing literature and drawn on the authors' own knowledge. Literature included:
- relevant published and unpublished research commissioned by Communities Scotland and the Scottish Government;
- evaluations of previous programmes to tackle concentrated disadvantage; and
- academic reviews and other literature on the range of approaches to tackling disadvantage in Scotland (and, more generally, in Great Britain).
1.4 The following objectives were addressed:
- Provide an overview of the history of geographically targeted community regeneration programmes in Scotland over the past 30 years.
- Identify and explore changes to the planning, development and implementation of community regeneration initiatives in Scotland over the past 10 years.
- Explore the impact of these community regeneration interventions in Scotland, in terms of multiple deprivation and poverty, with a specific focus on last 10 years.
- Describe the current policy context and practice in the planning, development and implementation of local community regeneration interventions.
- Identify future challenges to the development and delivery of effective community regeneration policy in Scotland, as well as challenges in assessing its impact.