SIX years ago City Park in the east end of Glasgow was just another monumental listed building lacking in clear purpose. The 1930s cigarette factory was derelict and decaying, with almost 300,000 sq ft sitting empty save for the presence of four elderly security guards who had been brought in when business shut down in the area in 1992.

Today it is a thriving business park and the site of 200 affordable homes. The original four-storey building was gutted and refurbished. Two and a half acres of basement were converted into a car park, which freed up space outside for houses. A new fifth storey with floor-to-ceiling windows now crowns the former factory, bringing the Art Deco building into the 21st century.

City Park has attracted money and new blood to a run down area in the shape of businesses such as Dell computers and the engineering consultants Halcrow. Together with a series of other companies, they employ some 3,000 people — almost the same number of workers who made a living in the former cigarette factory.

People living and working outside the imposing building have also benefited from its refurbishment. There are meeting rooms, a restaurant and a 24-hour gym that is open to the wider community. The gym has attracted 1,000 members, including those working in the local hospital and the police station. The facilities are all commercially viable without the need for subsidies and the transformation of the building was achieved without a single penny of taxpayers’ money.

No wonder City Park has been amassing awards and prizes from all quarters. The latest accolade — for best practice — comes from the British Urban Regeneration Association (Bura), whose mission is to ensure that we all understand the true meaning of regeneration.

“Converting an old warehouse into 20 luxury apartments is not regeneration,” says Jon Ladd, chief executive of Bura. “A lot of people talk about housing alone. But regeneration is how housing links up with everything else — schools, health provision, offices and commerce. It is more than just bricks and mortar. We must recognise the joined-up elements of regeneration and ensure that it is something that is done with people rather than to people.”

As developers aim to meet government targets of building 200,000 new homes a year, the awards, set up in 1991 to highlight best practice, have never been so relevant. The prizes are awarded to as many, or as few, schemes as deserve them. But although standards are rising, only eight have met the criteria this year.

“It is not enough for a regeneration project simply to look good, nor is it enough that it brings money into the local economy. Projects are expected to raise community spirit and involve a range of partners,” says Ladd. “We don’t look at projects in the initial stages. Our award goes to those that are proven to work.”

Most of all, by highlighting successful schemes it is hoped that the awards will raise standards and expectations. “They show local authorities and the public what can be achieved and provide examples to follow,” he says.

It would be impossible, however, to carbon-copy the schemes. Each is individual and tailored to its community. These are some of the other winners:

Ardler Village: This massive 1960s high-rise council estate, four miles northwest of Dundee city centre, used to be a no-go area afflicted by high levels of antisocial behaviour. Between 1980 and 1997 the population fell by almost 50 per cent. Its fortunes changed in 1998 when a consortium of private and public players agreed on a new strategy with the local council and residents. Almost 2,000 council flats were demolished and replaced with low-cost houses and flats. The local shopping centre was refurbished and roads and transport improved. Local people are now queuing up to live there.

The Drapers’ Towns Partnerships: Two towns in Northern Ireland from the opposite sides of the sectarian divide — Moneymore and Draperstown — overcame their differences in order to address a common problem of dereliction and decay. To celebrate the completion of the project, the newly refurbished Orange lodge in Moneymore was opened to the Roman Catholic community of Draperstown.

Phoenix Initiative, Coventry: This, the first part of Coventry city centre’s regeneration, covers an area of seven and a half acres and costs £55 million. It includes the restoration of three listed buildings, two new public squares, three new gardens, new BBC studios and £1 million of public art.

Shawcross Fold, Stockport: Here several derelict historic buildings were brought back to their former glory. The most notable example is Staircase House, a 17th-century townhouse that is now a museum. The project also included the building of the first new housing in the town centre for 30 years.

For more information, see www.bura.org.uk

Times recommends

• Second homes: credit crunch casualty or money-spinner?
• How I built my own sliding house
• Top 10 incentives for house buyers