Town Centre Regeneration: How Does it Work and What can be Achieved?
Scottish Government research undertaken in order to develop a clearer understanding of the activities taking place as part of town centre regeneration and the outputs and outcomes that follow on.
Whole town strategies
Whole Town Strategies - Who is Doing What in Scotland?
Scottish Centre for Regeneration briefing paper. Maps out how Local Authorities and their partners are approaching town centre regeneration and the extent to which Whole Town Strategies are part of this picture.
Retail and business
Scotland's Town Centres: Still the life and Soul?
GVA Grimley has been exploring key market trends that are affecting Scotland's town centres. Includes a detailed survey of Scotland's local planning authorities and Town Centre Managers. Also ncludes the collation and analysis of retail floor space pipeline data throughout Scotland. This is the first time that this type of information has been collated since the Scottish Government's publication Retail Development Survey 2004, published in 2006. GVA Grimley will update this data on a regular basis.
Scottish Property Review
Rydens 63rd Scottish Property Review demonstrates a downturn in the retail sector, a slower but active office sector and an industrial sector that remains relatively unscathed. Highlights that the third wave of the credit crunch is breaking across the property market. The first wave diminished investment values. The second halted development projects. The third is the impact on the business economy, as occupiers evaluate their property needs.
Policies adopted to support a Healthy Retail Sector and Retail Led Regeneration and the impact of Retail on the Regeneration of Town Centres and Local High Streets
The Scottish Government commissioned the Institute for Retail Studies at the University of Stirling to provide a literature review to:
- identify what a healthy/vibrant town centre/local high street looks like;
- identify, in the UK, what policies/approaches have been implemented to: (a) Support a healthy retail sector in local high streets and town centres, and (b) Undertake retail led regeneration; and
- explore what impact retail has had on the regeneration (in its widest sense - social, economic and physical) of town centres and local high streets, and how this has impacted on the wider community.
You can also read the findings of this report.
Town Centre and Retailing Methodologies
Scottish Government report examining techniques that can be used to support planning for town centres and retailing, as outlined in Scottish Planning Policy 8 (SPP8).
Town Centre and Retailing Methodologies: Literature Review
Scottish Government review of the literature on the range of techniques that can be used to support planning for town centres and retailing.
High Street Britain: 2015
This publication, commissioned by the House of Commons All-Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group, looks at the obstacles facing small shopkeepers. Seeks to promote fairer laws to help preserve and foster retail diversity. Analyses the evidence concerning the long-term prospects of the United Kingdom's small retail sector.
Mixed use
Rediscovering mixed-use streets
Joseph Rowntree Foundation study attempting to better understand the significance of streets to people as spaces of connection through which they travel, as places to shop, meet and pursue other activities, and as spaces that contribute to local identity.
Social interactions in public spaces
In town centres and local neighbourhoods, public spaces provide social arenas for all kinds of people - residents, workers, shoppers, visitors, and children at play. This study draws on research by The Open University, with the involvement of community researchers. They observed interactions between people of different ages across one year in Aylesbury, a town in a growth region of South East England.
The contribution of local high streets to sustainable communities
Joseph Rowntree Foundation report demonstrating the key part that local high streets play in contributing to the Government's public spaces, social inclusion and sustainability agendas. Uses three case studies from different English cities.
Markets as social spaces
Study by The Open University. Examines the importance of markets as social spaces in towns and cities in England. Fieldwork and observation in eight markets across the country were used to:
- examine the key factors that make markets work well as social, vibrant public spaces for different groups in the community;
- identify the main users of markets as social spaces in different contexts; and
- and examine the different kinds of social activity in markets.
Urban design
This way to better streets
Commission for the Built Environment (CABE) investigates residential street design using examples from England and Scotland. Identifies common problems, explains how good design helps to connect and structure neighbourhoods and makes recommendations for improvement.
Small towns and rural
Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership Final Evaluation
The Partnership came to an end in December 2008 following changes at national level to partner organisations. This independent evaluation was undertaken by European Policy Solutions from September to November 2008.
Scottish Small Towns Report 2007 - 2013
Compiled by the Scottish Small Towns Task Group which was set up following the 2004 South of Scotland Alliance (SoSA) Conference on "Small Towns under Threat".
Rural communities and economic development
Commissioned by the Scottish Enterprise Rural Group, the overall purpose of this research has been to examine how community-based economic development could be used to best effect in enabling smaller rural communities to become more sustainable and deliver significant economic outputs.
Security and safety
The Work of the Safe City Centres and Safe Town Centres Initiatives
Scottish Government report setting out the findings of a final evaluation of the Safe City Centres Initiative. The report also provides information about the Safe Town Centres Initiative.
The safety and security implications of housing over shops
Houses over shops may have some potential to make town and city centres safer places to live. However, research by Sheffield Hallam University and the Empty Homes Agency found that this potential was not being realised as far as it could.
Community engagement
Local links - developing active networks in local communities
Common Purpose piloted 'Local Links' to improve neighbourhood networking, support, skills development and information sharing for local decision-makers and active citizens in four Yorkshire areas. The aim was to assist them to be better informed, empowered and more effective in their community roles.