3 WHAT DOES A HEALTHY/VIBRANT TOWN CENTRE OR LOCAL HIGH STREET LOOK LIKE?
3.1 Town centres come in many shape and sizes. The term town centre itself tends to be used to encompass everything from city centre to local or district centre. At all levels however there is concern over the "health" of the town centre. There are various definitional approaches to town centres, but perhaps it is more appropriate to focus on the components that are generally agreed to make up a town centre, noting however that the strength or even the presence/absence of such components will vary by situation, scale and level. Town centres generally include ( e.g.SPP8 - Scottish Government 2006, PPS6 - ODPM 2005, ATCM 2006):
- Leisure, retail, entertainment and cultural facilities;
- Business, office and other employment opportunities;
- Public and private services;
- Residential opportunities;
- High density, mixed-use and sustainable developments;
- Quality, design, sense of place and focus on public realm;
- A place for the local (and other) community.
3.2 Defining town centres in these terms helps emphasise the differing scale of centres and the varying degrees of activity, diversity and sustainability of each location. Identifying what makes a healthy town centre is thus dependent on the history, scale, strategy and situation of each centre itself (as most centres operate in some form of network and/or perceived hierarchy). A healthy, vibrant town centre is thus dependent on the context, as well as the operation, of the various constituent components of the town centre.
3.3 There is no doubt however that healthy and vibrant town centres are important for the nation and its constituent communities. "Town centre first" has become the key mantra of land-use planning. The town centre is recognised as having a number of advantages, not least its multi-use complexion and focus for public sector transport (and other access). However the state of town centres has been a cause for concern. A number of management approaches have been introduced to improve their operation ( e.g. Town Centre Management and more latterly Business Improvement Districts). Retailing is an integral part of town centres and high streets, though it is not a sufficient activity alone in most cases. The potential of retailing in regeneration has been recognised, not only in town centres, though there has been particular debate over the role of retailing in regeneration of town centres and high streets. This debate has stalled over a number of issues including over-simplification of causes and effects. This has in part diverted attention from a more holistic view of the town centre.
3.4 The identification of the components of a healthy town centre might seem straightforward. It is however not so. It is not helped by the fact that there has been little monitoring in, and amongst, towns and cities which would permit a distinction to be made between macro ( i.e. national level changes such as a recession or the closure of a major high street chain) and micro ( i.e. local population, access, competition etc) changes. Some planning and monitoring is highly impressive, but this does appear to be the exception rather than the rule ( e.g. Aberdeen City Centre Urban Realm Strategy) and comparisons across centres and over time are limited. This is despite many calls for regular monitoring ( e.g.URBED 1994, Evans 1997, Hargest and Wallace et al 2007). The discussion below is informed particularly by the broad literature on the topic, including on policy ambitions (Sparks 1998, DETR 2000, Conservative Parliamentary Enterprise Group 2008) and practice guides ( e.g. Scottish Government 1999, URBED 1997, 2005, Department for Social Development 2007, ODPM 2007). It also draws on academic research on regeneration (Evans 1997, Carley et al 2000) and retail change (Dawson 2000, DTI 2004, Guy 2006). Several topics have been considered through National Retail Planning Forum studies including for example access to town centres and secondary shopping (Davies 2002, National Retail Planning Forum 2004). Hargest and Wallace et al (2007) have outlined the key performance indicators for towns based on established vitality and viability indicators. From the wider literature on changing consumer society, research by Fyfe (1999) and Miller et al. (1998) provided insights into how meanings attached to shopping and places of shopping change.
3.5 The UK Government White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future ( HM Government 2007) set the agenda of making successful places as a key planning goal. This holistic approach offers an understanding of what a successful place (town centre) might look like. Five areas seem important:
- Places
- Getting to places
- In the place
- People and places
- Making places
3.6 Retailing plays a significant role within town centres and the vitality of the town centre is linked to the health of the high street. Because of the overall focus of this literature review, the five areas above are considered in Table 3.1 in the context of retailing in town centres. The issues identified however are equally important for other town centre components and the table should be read in that light.
Table 3.1 Retailing in a Successful Town Centre or High Street
Places |
|---|
Identity of the place | Does the retail offer match this identity? |
Attractive spaces within the centre | Do retail spaces contribute to and enhance the attractiveness of spaces within the centre architecturally and in terms of urban design? Does the retail space engage with consumer in a way which will capture attention? |
Movement within a centre should be easy | Do different retail spaces connect with each other in a logical and straightforward way? Is the retail centre permeable? |
A place that is legible | Is retailing where you would expect to find it? Are different types of retailing made visible? |
How can the centre accommodate change? | Is there scope to accommodate new retail formats in an integrated way? |
A place with diversity and choice | Does retailing offer an appropriate level of diversity and choice? |
Getting to Places |
|---|
A place that is well connected | How accessible is retailing to different groups from different areas by different modes of transport? |
Access is convenient | Within the town centre is retailing convenient to range of transport? Is parking available near to the shops? Is transport and parking used to encourage trade in a way that is helpful to retailers? |
Access is comfortable | Are there 'shatter zones' which people have to cross between transport links and retail areas? Are there missing links between transport nodes and retail areas? Is there enough parking space? Does public transport match well with different town centre uses by time of day? |
Access is convivial | How well matched is access to the way that people will use the retail functions of the area in terms of expected dwell time for different retail trips? Does access maximise the time people will spend in the town centre? Are parking charges and transport costs appropriate to spend levels? |
Access is conspicuous | Is the retail potential obvious before customers have to commit to the town centre? |
Access and change | Will accommodating new retail developments change existing access in a positive way for all retail areas? |
In the Place |
|---|
A variety of town centre uses | How does retail match with the rest of the town centre uses? |
Night time economy | Does the retail mix fit with the entertainment functions of the town? |
Office economy | Are retail enterprises well located to service workers in the town centre? |
Tourism | In thinking about town users are suitable facilities provided for tourists? |
Centre that is competitive | Is there enough flexibility to ensure everyday needs are also catered for in accessible way? How much outshopping occurs and what is the potential for retail clawback and place switching? |
Centre that accommodates change | Can land assembly be used to insure that change is well integrated? |
People and Places |
|---|
Target population | Who are the potential users either resident or commuting? |
Market | Who are the potential users either resident or commuting? Does retail provision match customer base in terms of potential spend? How do different retail spaces match different population groups? |
Conviviality | Does the retail offer meet the service expectations of consumers? Are linked trips catered for? |
Making Places Work |
|---|
Planning for town centres | Is retail planning in tune with wider planned change? Is residential expansion aligned with retail expansion in terms of choice and diversity? How is retail change engaged with the changing network of centres? How is change perceived? |
Business rates | Are these well matched with buying power of users and types of retailer? |
Partnerships | How do partnerships engage existing and future retailers? |
Town Centre Management | Could town centre management be better used to manage change and regeneration? |
A joined up strategy | Are decisions on transport and retailing coordinated? |
BIDs | Would a BID be appropriate? |
Traders associations | Does the traders associations have any place in the decisions which are being taken regarding retailing in a town centre? |
Local community partnerships | What are consumer concerns about retailing and how can these be taken on board? |
Local enterprise | Does the retail profile attract new investment? |
3.7 Town centres are affected by the nature of places and how places are positioned in the network of centres. The significance of various sectors and their interactions will affect the character of a place. These also affect the potential for regeneration to alter (the perception of) places. Access to a place is key to the environment. The diversity and range of uses and activities which take place in a town centre give it character. The population attracted to the town centre provides the market opportunity for retailing and other uses. The activities which come together to organise and manage places provide a sense of energy, direction and professionalism.
3.8 Across Scotland there appear to be many healthy and vibrant town centres, with somewhat differing characteristics. Equally there are many others with difficulties and problems. Any approach can not be prescriptive. The interactions amongst different activities and the very real challenge of ensuring that these activities build together and are coordinated and well matched are fundamental. Table 3.1 lists some of the issues which need to be resolved to achieve a well-functioning town centre. The balance amongst these factors will vary from place to place. The accommodation and management of change in the town centre will be crucial in ensuring that change in one area or component does not compromise the functioning of another. Issues over access, design, image or management can prejudice the vibrancy of the whole or a part of a town centre. In a place-competitive environment customers often choose amongst places. Their choices will be based on both macro ( e.g. access) and micro ( e.g. a particular shop) aspects of the town centre environment. This goes beyond janitorial activities of streetscapes to the way centres are managed, their conviviality, identities and wider vibrancy. A good town centre is a focus for the community on many levels and activities (and not solely retailing), providing a sense of place.
3.9 Town centres vary in their activities and scale. The scale of the problems and opportunities are also variable. The strength of a town centre comes from a holistic perception. Thus the problems to be tackled may vary enormously in scale. A good town centre is more than the sum of its parts and needs to be designed, maintained and repaired with this overall viewpoint in mind. The local context and the network of centres will also play a role in this. In some cases this involves a radical solution of large scale development but in other situations it is a minor local issue that needs resolving. Such issues may involve collaboration for improvement as much as physical improvement itself.
3.10 The health and vibrancy of the retail sector contributes significantly to the town centre's image and economic well being. Measuring retail vibrancy and vitality has been the subject of a major report to the Scottish Government (Hargest and Wallace et al 2007). The details of this need not be repeated here. Table 3.2 highlights key aspects of the retail profile and raises issues which underpin the success of the retail sector in a town or centre. These are posed as questions, as different centres have different histories and different potential. Failure to address these questions can prejudice successful retailing. For example the lack of a major foodstore in a market town or deprived area can lead to outshopping. Poor urban fabric can lead to retail blight. The lack of new retail space can inhibit the development of the right sizes of stores to meet modern needs. The lack of suitable space for local and independent retailers hinders diversity and "difference". Awareness of drivers of retail change in assessing likely patterns of change is important. There is a substantial literature on this topic ( e.g. Dawson 2000). Key drivers of change include innovation, sector concentration, productivity and changes in the supply chain ( DTI 2004). These drive different retail property and location priorities and thus high street and town centre success.
Table 3.2 Key Factors for Retailing in Town Centres
Retail mix | Is the centre convenience or comparison based? |
Choice | What level of multiple representation is there? |
Diversity | Are independent businesses profitable or subsistence? What is the target market of independent businesses? |
Anchor stores | Which stores are performing an anchor role? |
Vacancy rates | Are there persistent vacancies leading to retail blight? |
Turnover | What are levels of retail turnover? |
Physical fabric | Is the physical fabric in good condition? Have the units the capacity to be modernised or meet modern requirements (eg units of 200sq m minimum for multiple retailers)? |
Competitiveness | How competitive is the centre? |
Customer loyalty | Are customers loyal to the centre? |
Capacity for change | Is retail blight recognised and change planned? What attention do problems receive? Are there goods missing from the profile which would enhance attractiveness? Is there sufficient retail confidence to attract new business? What churn is occurring and what does it represent in terms of retail change? Are properties owned or leased and how will this affect a centre's potential? How easy is it to pursue new business models? |
3.11 A vibrant town centre will be one where there is an environment which seeks to maximise the impact of its components by ensuring that ongoing activities are compatible, access issues are resolved, there is a match amongst different town centre activities, design issues ensure legibility and where coordinated management and planning occurs in an effective way. Change must be planned for and managed so as to sustain consumer and business confidence. Awareness of business drivers and consumer preferences must be maintained and engaged through the planning process and in understanding the significance of change on the vibrancy of the centre. Above all a vibrant town centre should be a place for the local (and other) community in which they take pride and seek involvement for multiple activities.