<b><b> Restricting greenfield building today in exchange for regeneration tomorrow will worsen England's housing shortages argues <b><b>John Stewart</b></b></b></b><br><b>Housing minister Nick Raynsford says &amp;"PPG3 is a cornerstone of our policies to secure an 'urban renaissance'&amp;". The Urban White Paper puts PPG3 at the centre of the government's drive for an urban renaissance. </b><br><b>The government's target is for 60% of all new housing in England to be newly built homes on recycled land or conversions by 2008. Many urban brownfield sites are already developed without the draconian policy interventions of PPG3. In the four years 1995-98, 53% of all new homes were built on recycled urban land. So PPG3 can only be justified if it leads to an even higher proportion on brownfield urban land. Part of this increase will have to come from higher densities, part from an increase in the supply of developable urban brownfield sites. Most of this additional supply will have to be found in urban regeneration areas. </b><br><b>The government is genuinely committed to urban regeneration. The Urban White Paper is full of sound analysis. Regional Development Agencies are being given increased funding and greater discretionary powers. The Treasury has introduced fiscal incentives, and a raft of initiatives …