The key to regeneration is people. While thoughtful and creative planning and attractive and useful buildings play a major part in getting any city centre back on its feet, surely the most important element is to have the place teeming with life.

We have already seen plans submitted, under way and completed for new leisure facilities in the centre and it is good to see that moves are afoot to also repopulate Bradford's central areas with long-term residents.

More than 60 new apartments are to be opened in two historic buildings in Bradford's Little Germany quarter, on the heels of a 20-apartment development completed at the nearby Silens Works.

With planners taking into consideration things like extra car parking and closed-circuit television security cameras, the centre is set to become a vibrant residential area.

Bradford quite rightly has ambitions to be a major northern city and with the bid to become Capital of Culture in 2008 gathering pace, it is good that people are getting into the right mind-set now.

With properties for both rent and sale in the city centre, it should fast become a desirable residence for a mix of people which can effectively breathe new life into Bradford.

With all this forward thinking, though, it is good to see the planners keeping one foot in the past and not repeating the mistakes of earlier generations by obliterating Bradford's heritage. The schemes on the table today for Little Germany aim to provide ultra-modern housing but retain the historic architecture that the area is famous for.

If all the ambitious schemes for Bradford come to the fruition they deserve, the city centre will become a wonderful place not only for work, visiting and relaxation, but also for living in.