|TOP|The Church of England presented to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York yesterday the challenge highlighted by Faithful Cities: A call for celebration, vision and justice, the report of an ecumenical and interfaith Commission.

In recent years, millions of pounds have been poured into Britain's city and urban areas, but the resultant growth has forced many to the margins and dramatised the gap between the 'super rich' and the poorest.
The "unacceptable" gap between the rich and the poor is as great now as it was under Margaret Thatcher, the report said.

"We need to ask if all the talk of regeneration and prosperity reflects the reality for many in Britain today," said Baroness Kathleen Richardson, a former President of the Methodist Conference, who chaired the Commission on Urban Life and Faith.

Since the Church report Faith in the City ignited a wide-ranging political debate on urban life in 1980s Britain, cities have been transformed, both in how they look and who lives in them, the report argues. Multi-million pound regeneration schemes and the dramatic impact of globalisation have brought riches and new opportunities to many localities.

|AD|Yet the extremes of poverty and prosperity are not so different from those in the 1980s, the report claims.

The Commission on Urban Life and Faith, among a number of recommendations to faith communities and Government, examines the current failure of urban regeneration projects to improve the lives of all who live in cities and calls for a debate on 'What makes a good city?'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said: "This report is challenging.

"It is the result of a great deal of consultation with the people at the sharp end in our inner cities, notably the people who live there. It does not point the finger at any one agency alone.

"It challenges us all: churches, faith communities, development agencies and government, local and national. Building social capital requires patience, hard work and an ongoing commitment.

"Building faithful capital requires even more – a willingness to cooperate with God's plan for humanity, and especially for the most vulnerable in society."

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, a member of the Commission, said: "This Report asks, 'Why is it that young people in Britain, the fourth largest economy in the world, are the most depressed in Europe?' That question demands an answer.

"The Report also shows what has been done by generous faith and what needs to be done, given the right backing by people of goodwill and all those who believe in God. Local communities, authorities and Central Government have a crucial role in making faithful cities flourish."

The report encourages the development of networks of leadership training and of collaboration between faith communities, and highlights the need for a greater literacy on matters of faith among civil servants and local government officials.

Faithful Cities: A call for celebration, vision and justice is published jointly by Methodist Publishing House and Church House Publishing.