‘A vision for High Street regeneration’ is being promoted as guidance for the central and local government custodians of town centres, to help achieve ‘a co-ordinated vision that re-connects whole communities to their reinvigorated and vibrant town centres.
360 architecture writes:
This publication is offered as guidance for the central and local government custodians of our town centres on an approach to achieving a co-ordinated vision that re-connects whole communities to their reinvigorated and vibrant town centres.
The shift in retail patterns continues to take a painful toll on High Street retail but it also presents a once in a generation (if not lifetime) opportunity to rebalance the core of our towns away from retail dominance and back to a place with a rich mix of uses where people live, play and work …and shop. This is also the opportunity to reprofile the High Street to meet the sea changes in technology, demographics and environmental awareness and to recognise town centres as the sustainable hearts of our communities.
Many towns have a Town Centre Action Plan and even a vision. This guide deliberately promotes a vision that illustrates physical and spatial change in a level of detail that breathes life into an inspiring future reality that aligns communities, attracts investment (or government funding) and sets the bar of a town’s ambition. We have described the level of engagement, research and analysis that we believe needs to underpin a vision if it is to catalyse change and success.
Much of the content in this document is derived from the Paisley Vision pilot project jointly commissioned in 2019 by The Scottish Government and Renfrewshire Council with guidance from Scotland’s Towns Partnerships and input from Revo (the retail property and placemaking community). Paisley was chosen as a pilot as it is Scotland’s largest town and, as with most Scottish towns, a post-industrial market town. The impact of changing retail patterns is particularly pronounced in Paisley and the lessons learned carry a broad relevance across most of our High Streets. The Paisley pilot project is a ten-year vision and examples are illustrated throughout this document.
Our passion for, and appreciation of, the value of our High Streets and town centres has been reinforced in delivering the pilot project and in composing this guidance which we hope will help you see a clearer route to a successful and inclusive town centre.
