Collaborative partnerships and urban change management

Abstract

Purpose This article aims to consider the benefits of collaboration in programming the delivery of complex regeneration strategies, focusing on the renewal of Manchester city centre following its terrorist bombing. Set within the wider discourse on the nature of partnerships, it situates the city centre renewal process within Manchester's locally‐grounded development agenda, focusing in particular on programme management achievements. Design/methodology/approach The article uses a qualitative approach to look at the institutional basis for collaborative action, and the management structures put in place to deliver the renewal programme over a five‐year period of concentrated activity. Findings In the renewal of Manchester city centre a common purpose was found within the partnership approach. Such an approach appeared to be driven by inter‐urban competition for public and private investment. Research limitations/implications Implications for organizational capacity and for master plan delivery were noted, and with the approach taken to performance management and the accommodation of risk, and the delivery of a forward strategy to ensure the completion of the rebuilding programme. Practical implications The findings have had practical implications with a number of other cities pursuing like‐minded strategies based on the Manchester experience. Originality/value The article adds further knowledge to our understanding of renewal and regeneration in major cities.

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