Manchester has been at the forefront of regeneration in the UK, and now it has signed up for a 'City Deal', its reputation for bold and successful projects looks set to continue. Heather Jameson meets the city's dynamic chief executive.

It sounds like a question from a quantum physics exaManchester City Council chief executive, Sir Howard Bernstein, has built his reputation – and that of the city's – on the basis of its regeneration. And while the speed of growth has inevitably slowed during the recession, it has not ground to a halt, as it has in some other parts of the UK.