High street
Town centres reimagined
There is no better time to start the complex and ever-evolving challenge of reinventing town centres, but the most successful regeneration stories share one thing, says Richard Sterling.
Let’s ditch ‘panel game’ funding
Cllr John Merry talks to Ann McGauran about how Key Cities are faring as they look towards recovery, and says he’s approaching the White Paper on levelling up with an ‘open-minded spirit’.
Lifting up our high streets
Engaging with and empowering communities are crucial to rejuvenating our high streets, and we must ensure citizens’ voices are heard and listened to, says Kathy Kyle Bonomini.
Street Hub 2.0 provides an opportunity to drive recovery
James Browne looks at how digital infrastructure can support local authorities to enhance services for local communities.
Bracknell’s naturally creative approach to bringing people back to the town centre
A gigantic partnership approach to reinvigorating Bracknell town centre linked to the borough’s tree strategy hit the mark this summer, says Cllr Marc Brunel-Walker.
Reimagining culture for our local communities
Arts Council England will stand with local authorities that seize the chance to build a vibrant new reality for every place, born out of creativity, says Darren Henley.
Welsh councils must provide ‘ambitious leadership’ to revive high street
Local authorities in Wales have been urged to use their existing powers and resources to make town centres sustainable.
The challenge of managing the return to the civic centre
By and large, civic centre workers made a successful transition to home working, says Michael Burton. But councils will equally want to ensure that reducing their office space does not further reduce footfall in their town centres, he adds.
Creating a ‘great outdoors’ for our urban centres
Accelerating much-needed renewal of high streets will depend on giving councils the freedom to develop and manage their own strategic place plans, writes Cllr Philip Broadhead.
Making high streets work for all
Councils and businesses should work with local disabled people to identify solutions to make our high streets work for everyone, argues Ben Cooper.
Tourist hotspots see biggest boost from 'freedom day'
Northern towns and tourist hotspots have seen the biggest rise in footfall since ‘freedom day’, while London is lagging behind, data has revealed.
Putting the buzz back into our high streets
Stephen Cox looks at the changing face of the high street and town centres in a post-COVID world and says there is hope we are about to enter a period of real transformation.
Can I walk from here?
The opportunity to get investors and developers to think local has never been more compelling and potentially attractive now that we have learned to live ‘within’ our neighbourhoods, says Steve Quartermain.
Revered and reviled - the lot of a regulator
Local government's reluctance to embrace regulation is understandable, but it fails to see the side of the service user, says Abdool Kara
Can local authorities still drive town and city centre regeneration?
Incentives such as the Levelling Up funding, combined with the long-term risk of falling business rates means that the potential, and need, for bold change cannot be ignored, says Jonathan Allen of Browne Jacobson.
A flexible future for workspaces and town centres
Brendon Walsh says that - while an increasingly hybrid approach to work will reshape our centres and high streets - use of permitted development rights and pivoting towards education and emerging industries can support regeneration.
Why Beeston’s blockbuster could spark many sequels
A state-of-the-art cinema is at the heart of the Beeston Square development in Broxtowe. Ruth Hyde says reinventing the retail past is not an option, and a ‘willingness to take sizeable risks’ was crucial.
Metropolis didn't have a happy ending
As the threat of COVID begins to lift there are some difficult questions ahead, says Paul Wheeler. He asks how much more difficult will recovery be for city centres 'if a significant number of well-paid workers never spend time or money there'?
Community involvement in town centres – supporting local people to do more
Government should rethink the powers available to local authorities to work with their communities to keep their high streets vibrant, argues Claire Harding of Centre for London.
PM announces policies to support levelling up agenda
The Prime Minister has announced 57 local areas will share £830m to transform high streets as part of the Government's levelling up plans.
