ABSTRACT
During the 1990s, urban regeneration partnerships proliferated in the United Kingdom (UK). Interest in partnerships between local government and local businesses has been given added momentum by the increasing popularity of urban regime theory as a tool for understanding urban politics in the UK. To understand the New Labour approach to regeneration, it is necessary to understand the evolution of urban policy. Urban policy has been through several different phases in the last thirty years which were very influential in shaping regeneration partnerships. The Inner City Partnerships (ICPs) were public-public partnerships involving collaboration between different levels of government. New Labour policy toward local regeneration partnerships is characterised by continuity and change. Despite paper commitments to a stronger partnership with local government, recent initiatives in education suggest the centre is tightening its grip on important aspects of urban policy. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
