'Phoenix' cities rise from ruins

Former industrial cities have shown a 'remarkable turnaround'

Cities which stood on the brink of ruin just 20 years ago have made a "dazzling comeback", according to a London School of Economics report.

Seven former industrial strongholds in Europe, including Sheffield and Belfast, are successfully rebuilding their environment, economy and society.

With 86,000 job losses in Sheffield between 1971 and 2004, development was needed for the city's future.

However, the study said the city is now an "avant-garde model of city reform".

Turning points for Sheffield were the 1997 political change in council leadership, city centre regeneration projects and a new focus on creating public-private agencies.

In Belfast the 1994 peace process and 1998 Good Friday Agreement were influential, as well as the re-installation of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

'Crumbling city centres'

Report author Professor Anne Power said: "These former industrial cities have proved far more resilient than many people dared hope.

"During the 1980s and 1990s they lost up to 80% of their manufacturing jobs and this led to polarised neighbourhoods, crumbling city centres and creaking public transport, schools and healthcare."

The research team found that all seven so-called "phoenix cities" used a similar blueprint for successfully rebuilding themselves.

This included bidding for high-profile sporting and cultural events, renovating the street environment, restoring major landmarks and new skills training.

Other manufacturing cities chosen for the study were Bilbao, Bremen, Leipzig, St Etienne and Turin.

'Transforming Cities Across Europe' is an interim report and the final report will be published next year.