Generation private co-investments in area-based urban regeneration: Lessons from Denmark

Jesper Ole JensenJacob Norvig LarsenKresten Storgaard

Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University

”What attract investors to urban regeneration areas?”• Investors and developers in urban regneration areas• Two examples• Conclusion

Methodology• Survey amongst 4.000 property owners in urban

regeneration areas – 1.100 responses (28%)

• Case studies in 8 urban regeneration areas, including interviews with developers

Public and private investments in urban regeneration areas, 2000-2006

Central in larger city Social housing area Smaller town Total

734

131

465

1330

227

46

130

403

38 11 3382

Total private property investmentsPrivate investments generated by urban regenerationPublic regeneration investments

Spin-off factor: Private investments generated from urban generation vs. public investments 6.0 4.4 3.9 4.9

Does investments create local development?

a) New residential buildings or add-on

b) New office buildings and add-on

c) Indoor improvements of residential buildings

d) Indoor improvements of office buildings

e) Improvements of residential building

f) Improvements of office buildings

g) Improvements of shop-facades

h) Improvement of outdoor areas

0 20 40 60

% of all private investments

Property management strategies• Passive management (core): Little risk, small but safe

return. Property of high quality and good location• Active management (value-added): Limited risk,

accomplishing potential values of the property• Development (opportunistic): Large risk, shift in the

function of the property, potentially large return

(Buch & Møller, 2006)

Risk and returnreturn

risk

Investments in urban regenerationGuy, Henneberry and Rowley (2002):”Institutional investments leading to ‘islands’ of development..”……”greater emphasis should be given to encouraging independent, locally based forms of property investment and development”

Adair et al (2011):”….perceived risks are borne out of a lack of understanding of the regeneration process with an overemphasis on decline and deprivation rather than highlighting the potential of the renewal process”

Figure 1. Planned and completed projects in the Rosenbæk-block in Odense. Several projects are privately financed, and all affected by the urban regeneration programme for the block.

Shopping street through the block (financed by the urban regeneration programme)

Shopping-portal at the block-entrance (private financing)

New buildings (social housing), to finish the block

Market-hall (privately financed) in relation to culture center (financed by the urban regeneration programme)

Privately financed housing (private fund)

Improvement of outdoor areas for a Christian social organisation (financed by the urban regeneration programme)

Activity centre for residents (financed by the urban regeneration programme)

Contagious effects from the urban regeneration, motivating owners to renovate buildings

Improved facilities for the local Mimic theatre

Planned construction area. Meanwhile, owners use it for flea markets and other public activities in the weekends

Amphi-stairway (financed by the urban regeneration programme)

Private funding support to parts of the building belonging to the theatre

Establishment of square and private parking financed by two local owners

Rosenbæk Block, Odense

14 dwellings on the harbour (Lohals). Investment volume app. 3 mill. €.

Center for shops and housing (Arden). Investment volume app. 4 mill. €.

Street beautification (Søllerødgade, Nørrebro). Private investments app. 0.5 mill. €

Developer competences #1Managing investors

“When we say that ‘We have a project that fits your strategy’ it is really a project that fits the investment managers taste….when you work in this business, you have to know how the single investment manager think. It is very emotional. You have to know, that if it is this guy you need some teak wood and stainless steel. You need to have than in the back of your head to sing the song right” (developer)

”The day you come with something that is not a good investment you’re done in the business” (developer)

Developer competences #2Local knowledge

“To collect knowledge about the area, you enter the local grocery or the kiosk, or you meet people leaving their front door: what do people think about the area, what do they think about the pub at the corner, are the houses too old etc…” (developer)

“There are many in the local areas from different cities calling us; private, engineers, architects, municipal officers, real estate agents….” (deverloper)

Developer competences #3Managing local authorities

"You must not bypass people, it only gives you enemies…. As soon as you have sensed the political will, you should start on the floor" (developer).

Developer competences #4Managing networks

A good project is when everybody feels they have won” (developer)

Developers views on urban regeneration

‘We didn’t give the urban regeneration a thought at all, and wouldn’t, even if we had known it was running …If a project is not good enough without urban regeneration you should not enter it’ (developer)

”You loose credibility if you promise too much. It is problematic to invite people and say ‘what would you like’, if there is no chance of realising it’

Conclusions• Investments needs development• Developer competences crucial for urban regeneration • The ‘developer-role’ can be taken by different types af

actors• Gap between planning and market: collaboration

improvements needed between municipal planners and private developers

• Municipalities should improve their use of local networks