The report “community-powered high streets” published by Power to Change makes an important and timely call for greater importance to be given to the role of community businesses in the revitalisation of our town and city centres. It sets-out to demonstrate “how community businesses will build town centres fit for the future”. Not a how-to…
Here we look at the placemaking lessons from a Tasmanian Brand Guide. Our focus is on the transferable lessons from this case study that openly demonstrate the rigours of the brand identity process, the involvement of local stakeholders and the authenticity of the resulting place branding. The case study is aimed at assisting place leaders…
With the Autumn Statement’s confirmation of the Shared Prosperity Fund go-ahead, we take a fresh look at the opportunity it provides to help shape our town and city centres. Shared Prosperity budget At the time of its Spring 2022 announcement, it was promised that the Shared Prosperity Fund would provide £2.6 billion of new funding…
The People & Places Partnership is working with North Herts Council and Baldock Events Forum in planning for recovery in Baldock town centre, post-pandemic. This page provides access to up-to-date resources created as part of this work, as well as links to related guidance. Engaging with local stakeholders The process began in February 2022 through…
Guest blog by Shaun Freeman-Jones – creator of Stop in Stockport- and associate of the People & Places Partnership. The view of a local place is often defined through the lens of social media. This of course has its positives but, in many cases, has significant negatives. This guest blog provides good practice guidance on…
As communities ride the rollercoaster from COVID to the cost of living crisis, the People & Places Partnership is taking a fresh look at tracking national town centre trends. The aim of this new study and the guidance it will create, is to analyse and understand national trends to help inform local decision-making. The new…
It is important for local authorities to take a broad perspective on the place of parking in town centres. That was my message in recently addressing council members and officers at a Local Government Association event on parking and high streets. My thought was to challenge participants to think beyond the silos of their own…
Discussions about place branding often focus overly on reaching potential new visitor audiences. At the People & Places Partnership, we believe that it is vital to think ‘local first’ in place branding. The starting point for brand development should be working with key local stakeholders including businesses and residents. This ‘local first’ approach to applying…
A guest blog by Iain Nicholson, founder of the Vacant Shops Academy A headline objective for UK Shared Prosperity Fund is that: ‘By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between…
Here we take a closer look at some of the Levelling Up Bill’s practical proposals for town and city centres. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is a key component of the Government’s wider programme to level up the country, as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper published in February 2022. The…