Young People and Urban Renaissance in Great Britain
Résumé
The social exclusion which exists predominantly in deprived urban areas of Great Britain affects children and young people especially. Young people are particularly vulnerable in such environments as they are exposed to a variety of specific inter-linked negative factors at a crucial age. Without doubt, growing up in such surroundings usually has a detrimental impact on a young person which can lead to poor health, poor educational achievement, unemployment, anti-social behaviour and criminality.
When Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997, New Labour declared it was going to urgently tackle the issue of young people living in deprived inner cities. This would take place within the context of a wider project of urban regeneration or renewal of areas with high rates of social exclusion in order to create safer, stronger and sustainable communities. What are the problems that affect urban socially excluded young people in particular? What has the government done in the intervening nine years to address the issue of young people living in urban deprived areas? Has it been successful in improving their circumstances?
This article will first illustrate the challenging situation of young people living in inner city deprived areas at the end of the 1990s. It will then present New Labour’s thinking and policy regarding the improvement of such young people’s lives. Finally it will attempt to ascertain if there has indeed been amelioration-a true urban renaissance-for socially excluded young people living in deprived inner city communities.