Can slump help northern cities evolve, asks Sir Peter Hall

Professor Sir Peter Hall, former chairman of urban regeneration company ReBlackpool and a leading academic in regeneration studies, will present a special guest lecture at Salford University next week on the subject of 'The Geography of Recession: Glimmers of Hope?'

Part of the Salford University Chancellor's Lecture series, Hall's talk will explore how the credit crunch might affect the transformation of northern cities such as Manchester in their attempts to change from industrial cities into knowledge-based service economies.

Hall said: "The recession has brought many changes to the UK regions – not only the South East where financial industries are concentrated, but to those northern cities which had been transforming themselves from an industrial base into centres for the knowledge economy.

"I'm interested in how these changes will be affected by difficult economic times and what opportunities may present themselves. And I'm particularly concerned to look at all the other places – the old one-industry towns – that have been less successful in making the transformation, and how they can join the party."

• For more information on the lecture on Tuesday 12 May, please go to http://www.salford.ac.uk/events/details/953