Belfast City Report

Europe is a continent of cities with a remarkable history of cultural inspiration, wealth creation, social and politicaldynamism. But in the late-20th century, many former industrial cities entered a period of steep decline, losingmost of their manufacturing jobs and many of their economic functions. Populations declined and wealthiersuburbs outstripped the declining inner cities that had housed the “engines of the world” and now housed someof the greatest concentrations of poverty. The US experienced even more extreme decline.The idea of Weak Market Cities was born at the second UK Government conference on an Urban Renaissance,hosted by Manchester in 2002. European and American city leaders debated the changing fortunes andprospects of former industrial cities. The pressures of growth and sprawl were counterbalanced with inner urbandepopulation and decay; the new skills needed for the new “knowledge” and “service” economy were contrastedwith high levels of worklessness and poor schools. Cities now house the majority and fastest growingshare of the world’s expanding population, and they are on a treadmill of physical pressure, social disorder, andeconomic insecurity.[...]