US Empowerment Zones: Does Size Matter?

The introduction of Empowerment Zones in the United States by the Clinton Administration illustrates the potential of public/private/voluntary partnerships in urban regeneration. Based upon a series of interviews with key personnel in the New York Empowerment Zones this article argues that city-wide strategies have difficulty in meeting the needs of local neighbourhoods. The article will illustrate the need to focus upon locally defined neighbourhood if regeneration is to work successfully.