The Great Skills Debate: Defining and Delivering the Skills Required for Community Regeneration in England

Over the next four issues, Planning Practice and Research is publishing a series of articles on the debate about skills deficiencies and the range of new skills required in order to address the 'new urban agenda'. This debate was directly addressed by the Egan Review in England and by similar work commissioned by Communities Scotland (2004). From 2000 to 2003 the Planning Network had been commissioned by the Centre for Education in the Built Environment to research the changing skills agenda and to investigate the contribution of higher education in providing education in the new range of generic and integrated skills appropriate to achieving Sustainable Communities. This series of papers draws on both the work of the Planning Network and the outcomes of a specially convened conference held in October 2003 and sponsored by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and Communities Scotland.