From where I’m sitting …

Private eye: Martin Lent

What could be done to make cities better? The answer to that is simple: people make cities and people with vision make cities better.

The planning of new townscapes needs to be carried out by planners who listen to peoples’ needs and desires, but have a vision to create greater harmony in the environment, a balance between function and design. Architects need to work within the boundaries of the possible and follow a plan that will integrate with the whole. Impressive buildings in stunning surroundings need to work for the people who occupy them so that they become a part of the living whole and seamlessly work in conjunction with their usage.

Some of the elements that make cities better are: streets that are safe to walk in at any time of the day or night, lighting and planned space that creates an open ambience; schools sited alongside green open space; parks planned for easy and maximum use; leisure space; cinemas, bars, restaurants and night clubs offering every possible option for peoples’ spare time.

Great cities embrace all aspects of life and offer public services that are well managed, efficient and able to function without drowning in red tape. Hospitals, surgeries, dentists, libraries and other services need to be well sited and easy to use, with interested, supportive staff.

Retail stores should be in thoughtful, interesting locations that are near to offices and workplaces, making shopping and browsing easy and relaxed, at lunchtime or after work. Cities need shops that are planned and put together with a focus that is clear and understood.

Transport services ought to be clean, safe, efficient and cheap and designed to move the maximum number of people speedily and effectively across the city. People don’t want to travel in cattle trucks, they want choices and options on their mode of transport, at all times of day and night.

Architects need to work within the boundaries of the possible

Martin Lent

Above all, cities should have sufficient housing at all levels of the market so that people can live at a standard they can afford and manage, and have the ability to eventually own a part or the whole of their home. These homes should reflect awareness of green issues for conservation and energy efficiency.

People need to be able to feel they are progressing in life and looking to a future where they can raise their family in safe and secure surroundings. A great city is a place where its children have thrived and prospered through a happy and fulfiling childhood and look back with pride at their heritage.

Martin Lent is director of urban residential developer Oakmayne Properties, a member of the Elephant Life consortium bidding to regenerate the Elephant & Castle

Public eye: Maud marshall

A vibrant city centre is the heart of any successful city. Bradford is undergoing huge change and is in the enviable position of learning lessons from the regeneration efforts of many cities that have gone before. In looking at what makes a successful city centre Bradford has chosen its own path. A “city in the park” concept creates a space for communities to come together and opens up the vistas of many of the 5800 historic buildings in Bradford.

Some of Bradford’s biggest advocates, or Bradvocates, are the further education bodies within the city, who understand the role they can play in the city and want to get involved. Bradford College has around 23,000 students and 1800 staff and is the UK’s largest provider of higher education courses outside the university sector. The University of Bradford has just over 10,000 full-time students, from over 100 countries and it was ranked second in the UK for graduate employment in a Times survey of 112 universities this year, second only to Cambridge.

By engaging academic bodies in the regeneration process, a “town and gown” policy can bring young and energetic students back to the town centre, which serves to revitalise leisure facilities and wider local business. Through engaging an enthusiastic further education sector, new life and enthusiasm can be breathed into regeneration.

The education sector can bring in new life and enthusiasm

Maud marshall

Cities serve as regional centres to provide a focus for commerce and provide employment. They will continue to succeed if they can adapt to meet new economic challenges and continue to generate employment. To this end we are seeking to attract a diverse mix of businesses to the city centre from small retailers to large corporate and government departments.

It is important for our city to build on its history but not to be bound by it. The ability to innovate is built on a diverse economy, a flexible workforce and a strong further education sector to fuel the workforce.

A city creates shared traditions, leisure and open spaces for cultures to blend and develop together. Strong communities create a strong economy by engaging the widest possible range of talent across the population of the city.

A high quality of life and a lively buzz encourages people to work, live and invest in the city. Quality of life is based on the performance of local schools, safety and the enjoyable public spaces.

The lesson to be learnt from regeneration projects across the world is that regeneration is ultimately about building an environment, be it physical, cultural or economic, in which people can grow and prosper.

Maud Marshall is chief executive of Bradford Centre Regeneration