A rebirth that's not just a transitory phase

The rejuvenation of Britain's cities is one of the success stories of the past 10 years. After decades of industrial decline and under-investment, by the 1990s some of our cities were on their knees. People left city centres after work, and few people lived in them through choice.

Then, towards the end of the decade, and into the new century, things started to change. More people moved into cities than left them. Between 1997 and 2003, 42% of national population growth was in cities, and 58% in city regions. This represents a transformation from only 7.2% of city-based national population growth over the 1980s. Businesses prospered and people got back to work. Cities provided almost 65% of the new jobs in England between 1997 and 2003, with around 40% created in cities other than London.

Arts and culture boomed. City dwellers felt a new confidence and pride in their towns. A string of new, dramatic buildings and developments appeared to transform our city centres: the Sage centre in Gateshead, the Lowry at Salford Quays, the transformation of Cardiff Bay, Birmingham's new Bullring, the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, and the Titanic quarter in Belfast.

When the Labour party held its annual conference in Manchester in 2006, people who had never visited, or hadn't been back for some time, were amazed at what they saw. I enjoyed the reaction of some of the London-based business people and journalists when they saw the iconic architecture of the Beetham Tower or the Libeskind-designed Imperial War Museum North, the new Selfridges and Harvey Nicols, and the diversity of China Town, Canal Street, or Rusholme's "curry mile". I'm not sure what they were expecting. Matchstick men and smoking chimneys?

So what is the future for our cities? My conviction is that their rebirth is not a transitory phase. The investment in good design, environmentally-sustainable transport, and the growth of cultural quarters, new businesses and tourist attractions gives our cities a sound base. But this is not enough. We need strong political leadership for our cities, which is why I support directly-elected mayors and want to see more of them in the future. People want to see an accountable, visible figure in charge. Business needs to know who to talk to. Cities need mayors to compete internationally.

We also have to recognise that our cities still contain pockets of deprivation and worklessness, so we need to redouble our efforts to get people into jobs, and ensure that all parts of our cities enjoy a share of the prosperity and success. Part of the answer is more social enterprises, providing ways into work for people excluded from the jobs market. Another is the transfer of assets such as markets, arts centres or parks to community groups to own and run.

These policies can unlock the talents of any city's most important attribute: its people.

Hazel Blears MP is secretary of state for communities and local government