Urb is the only consultancy in Ireland that deals with Town Centre Management and is an Associate member of the Institute of Place Management.

Town Centre Management & Business Improvement Districts are about creating self-sustaining development vehicles for town centre improvement, and local economic renewal – Urb helps businesses, communities and local authorities make it happen. 

Attempts at tackling town centre health and urban issues have been approached in a scatter gun approach.  Motivated communities and trade associations struggle to maintain commitment, resources and enthusiasm.  Councils are too slow to relinquish power and work at the street level.  In the new economic climate, the cities and towns that foster partnership, local economic development and inward investment will succeed.  

While urban leaders and businesses are increasingly aware they need to play a more proactive role in arresting decline, few have the capacity or skills to translate energy and endeavour into tangible improvements.  There is a need for knowledge on what makes towns work again. 

Town centre renewal requires partnership, investment and commitment.   While many are familiar with concepts of Town Centre Management and Business Improvement Districts, few made the connection between the desire for urban renewal, and the need to manage change through robust and proven mechanisms. 

Urb provides a way to realise urban management solutions, and establishing business improvement districts on behalf of businesses, communities and local authorities.  We steer a path through procedural obstacles and complexities so that towns can get on with facing the challenges and delivering change.  We believe that setting up the mechanism a vital  first step – so that you can get on with doing.

Richard Hamilton has spoken on the subject at the Irish Planning Institute Annual Conference, April 2010 -‘The Future of Town Centres, Town Centre Management Strategies’,  for the Dublin Civic Trust, April 2010, Planning and the Historic Built Environment Seminar: Town Centre Management and at the European Urban Summer  School, Wroclaw, Poland – September 2010