Urban Revitalization: Differences Between U.K. And U.S.

"In Britain we use our laws a bit more than you do to require (developers) to use brownfields before they can go into greenfields. And we allow the government to go a bit further than you do in dealing with decay within redeveloping areas; your laws tilt more toward the property owner's side. But you're more innovative about using tax credits for housing. We have many things in common, though. In both countries there's a real desire to return to cities. Old warehouses and old waterways that were once seen as liabilities are coming back to life. To make city life more attractive, though, we both have to deal with the decline of public transport, concentrations of poverty, crime and falling educational standards."