Urban Task Force

UTF Mission Statement

In 1998 the then UK Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, invited Richard Rogers to set up the Urban Task Force (UTF) to identify causes of urban decline and establish a vision for cities in England, founded on the principles of design excellence, social well-being and environmental responsibility within appropriate delivery, fiscal and legal frameworks.

The establishment of the UTF was a response to:
• decline of regional inner-city areas and communities
• an official prediction of a requirement for 4 million additional households
• suburban sprawl consuming greenfield sites at an alarming rate, causing social and economic decline within inner-city areas.

It was tasked to recommend practical solutions to bring people back into cities towns and urban neighbourhoods in England.

In the UTF report ‘Towards and Urban Renaissance’, over 100 recommendations for change were proposed, covering design, transport, management, regeneration, skills, planning and investment. These stated that towns and cities should be well designed, be more compact, better connected and support a range of diverse uses within a sustainable urban environment that is well integrated with public transport and adaptable to change.

The process of change should combine strengthened democratic local leadership with an increased commitment to public participation. There must be an increase in investment in urban areas, using public finance to attract the market. All government initiatives which affect towns and cities should demonstrate a shared commitment to an urban renaissance.

In addition, the report noted that this renaissance requires a change of culture – through education, debate, information and participation. It is about skills, beliefs and values, not just policies.

The necessity for urban growth provides an opportunity to reconfigure English cities and communities and the Urban Task Force’s report was conceived as a comprehensive package championing an holistic approach to urban regeneration and informing future Government policy in urban development.