The centre of Portsmouth, which is one of the densest urban areas in the country, suffered from war-time bombing, ugly post-war development, and the loss of jobs in the Dockyard.

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The centre of Portsmouth, which is one of the densest urban areas in the country, suffered from war-time bombing, ugly post-war development, and the loss of jobs in the Dockyard. The Council has used a wide variety of techniques to involve people in rebuilding their community. These have ranged from surveys and newsletters to the use of street theatre and the involvement of schools. However the process, which gave rise to a new vision for the city centre, has also been extended to the implementation stage. Single Regeneration Budget schemes to improve blocks of flats (no longer called estates) have involved tenants picking which housing association they wanted to work with. They have subsequently been involved in the design process, for example in making the area more secure and in providing places for children to play. Along with work to General Improvement Areas, this has helped to make the centre a much more popular place to live in. In a recent survey, 88% of residents rated their quality of life as good, and 68% were satisfied with the way the city is run.

URBED (Urban and Economic Development Group) is a leading independent research and consultancy firm specialising in the fields of urban regeneration, local economic development, sustainability and urban design.