The conference was opened by City Council administration leader Jill Shimi, and as well as featuring key speakers from various sectors concerned with regeneration, a third of the delegate places were reserved for voluntary community representatives.

Mr Chisholm outlined the Scottish Executive’s vision for creating “communities where people are proud to live, work and invest” — and that could hold their own with towns and cities across Europe.

He cited projects in Dundee such as Ardler Village and the Waterfront as examples of how places could be transformed for the benefit of local people. He said, “Ardler used to be just another post-war peripheral housing estate, where moving up in the world often meant moving out. Not any more. Dundee City Council, together with the people who matter, the people actually living in the area, have transformed Ardler.

“The 1960s tower blocks have given way to homes for rent, low cost private homes and private market sale homes.

“It is a mixed tenure community but also a vibrant community with new shops; with facilities for families like primary schools and a child and family centre. In Ardler, the Village Trust has been crucial to this, and it will remain in place once the main elements of physical regeneration are complete.”

Mr Chisholm also said Dundee was to be congratulated on its ambitious plans for the Waterfront. “It involves a massive and long-term programme of building and infrastructure works which will rejoin the city centre to the world class vista of the Tay estuary. This will undoubtedly have an impact on the all-too-often negative view of Dundee from outsiders, changing first impressions for the better.

“But, more importantly, it will impact on the lives of Dundonians themselves. I would encourage the Community Planning Partnership to make every effort to ensure all Dundonians benefit from this exciting and ambitious initiative.”

Dundee University’s Professor Greg Lloyd, who also spoke at the conference, said many good things were coming out about regeneration from the Executive, but he was concerned not enough was being done to make sure communities were actually benefiting.

“Where we may be going wrong is that we may have too many bodies involved in the regeneration process. It may be the case we are not capitalising on the good intentions and putting them into practice,” he added.