High Street Renewal Fund by ATCM and UK Dept for Communities & Local Government - This nice little publication has 7 examples of High Street initiatives, showing the organisations, projects and leadership it takes to make big impacts on town centres. It’s available from the ATCM web site here: https://www.atcm.org/programmes/town_teams/resources/high_street_renewal_fund
I’ve been helping out with the Thomas Street Business Association for few months now. We’ve created a 90 day plan to create some focus and bring in wider support for renewal of the street.
Its difficult for professional place management organisations to do “a plan” and then implement its actions. This is because there are so many externalities, interests and actors at play in a real street. For a voluntary group like ours, its impossible. So our plan is designed to evolve from from Version 1.0 throughout the plan period. This is because we want it to change, evolve and develop with the people who become involved and take ownership of their part in the plan.
see….. http://issuu.com/thomasstreetdublin/docs/90dayactionplan?mode=window and https://www.facebook.com/thomasstreetdublin (Illustration by Stephen Coyne)
Unique Selling Point or Back to Basics?
As marketing and city branding exert a greater influence on city and town planning/ governance, the concept and term of a Unique Selling Point (USP) has become more prevalent. Its understandable why its appealing. One moment of inspiration and you have one initiative, project or building that sells your town for you. Its the same way of thinking that says we need a sleek new modernist art gallery/library/ conference etc to ‘compete’.
However the challenges that town & city centres face are very complex, and require a comprehensive response. So many towns have been so badly run that the USP really should be considered to be the second half of the manual. So how about 'Back to Basics’? Good maintenance of streets and premises, retail that serves customers needs, cleanliness, trees, public space, pedestrian and bicycle safety; …. a good place to be… now that’s marketable.
Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) have published their initiative/document Town and City Management Framework, as officially launched by Minister Phil Hogan. REI have strongly got behind Town Centre Management, and the ‘Town Team’ approach as a fundamental part of town centre revitalisation. The report contains a number of ideas and initiatives that towns can utilise. There are also proposals to undertake a survey of 100 towns later this year. At Urb we see this as a positive initiative by REI and welcome Minister Hogan’s support. This report reflects the support of Place Management in the Portas Review and the strong development of BIDs in the UK. REI have created welcome and much-needed publicity for the Place Management approach to town centre renewal in Ireland. But theres a big difference between having a list of things you can do, to implementing actions and initiatives for your town, and having the right people to do it. Contact richard@urb.ie if you need assistance in development your town centre management plan or partnership.
Project: Grafton Street renewal.
Urb and JB Barry Consulting Engineers were appointed by Dublin City BID to represent Grafton Street retailers regarding the City‘s new Part 8 streetscape proposals (providing for repaving & new fixtures). The Consultant team worked with the BID and the street’s retailers to represent thier ambitions for a world-class street (both visually and functionally). Urb’s expertise in Place Management complemented JB Barry’s engineering skill, to assess construction and operational phases of the works (note: Grafton Street is Ireland’s premier shopping street and is one of the busiest pedestrian streets in Europe).
Urb’s Town Centre workshop overview in Prezi (doesn’t work in all browsers (like Firefox!) and Flash needs to be up-to-date)
We’ve had a very positive response to the Town Centre workshop idea over the summer. Most people have come back looking for a bit more information on the structure. So here it is.
The Town Centre Workshop is a day-long workshop primarily designed for Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations with Local Authorities and urban leaders, around the country, to help advance their own town centre partnership (or Town Team) and progress to actions that can be implemented.
Every town is different, in terms of needs, hallenges, and the dynamic of the group who will deal with those issues. The workshop is held in the town in order to work with the partners/ stakeholders who have to make it happen. Its not a seminar or a training day. The emphasis is on making the most of existing resources, people and assets for short-term wins and permanent gains for the town centre. In terms of scale we see the most productive numbers being of “class room” size, i.e. 10 to 30 people. We work with the contact person in the town on who should attend, and arrangements for the day.
The approach to each subject matter is to have a 10 minute presentation every 30 to 40 minutes, to help provoke discussion or point to examples of best practice in town centre management from UK, Ireland and USA, be it from BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) or other Place Management initiatives We also want to focus on a positive response to town centre challenges and achievable actions.
After settling in, the single-day workshop (10am to 4pm) comprises 3 main elements: 1) Shake-up, 2) Building Blocks & 3)Next-steps.
Introduction: An introduction to the context for the workshop, the concept and development of Town Teams, Place Management and the overall goals that working together as a town-centre partnership may achieve.
The Shake-up: If we are to conclude the day with Actions, we first have to look at the town’s strengths, the needs and services the population require, and gaps/opportunities to fill. This phase of the day is about airing the groups’ thinking on Place, Attractions and Perceptions. What is the 'experience’? How do we experience the place as a visitor, business person or regular shopper. We’ll use a slide-show to pose questions on urban experience and quality. What do we honestly think of the town centre, why would we want to be there or not. We brainstorm on what we know (information), what’s good, what and who is missing, and how we can fill the gaps. We’ll use mind-maps to help visualise and consolidate our inputs.
‘Building Blocks’ focuses on Partnership, what it means, and ways of working together. I give a short presentation on approaches to Town Centre Management (everything from public sector to private sector). We envisage what a Town Centre Partnership/Company or BID would look like, where it could be located, full-time or part-time and what are the things it would do. There are likely to be several organisations in the town already working with various goals, objectives and budgets, but all contributing to the town. Organisations change and develop. So we think about where we are and where the organisation might go.
‘Next-Steps’ brings together 10 actions from all actors, in manageable concepts, stages and projects. What are the steps that need to happen, now and in the next 3 years? We can help this discussion with examples of Core functions, and best practice. With over 1,000 BIDs in America and 136 in the UK there are plenty of ideas out there. We don’t want to swamp people with unachievable goals, but at the same time, success stories and good ideas can encourage people on to the next stage.
Also see our Prezi presentation on the Workshop at http://prezi.com/30yt0fgcoh9r/town-centre-workshop/
Urb is the only consultancy in Ireland with expertise in urban planning and place management /town centre partnerships and BIDs. Richard Hamilton is an Associate Member of the Institute of Place Management in Manchester. Urb’s aim is to help communities achieve the vibrant and vital town centres everyone wants. This requires a partnership approach, for which towns need assistance to start-up and evolve. The new Retail Planning Guidelines highlight the implementation of city and town centre management strategies as an integral part of the National Policy Objectives.
Urb has developed The Town Centre Workshop; a day-long workshop primarily designed for local authorities and urban leaders (Ireland (ROI & NI) & UK), to kick-start thinking as a town centre partnership (or a Town Team) and progressing to actions that can be achieved. The emphasis is on making the most of existing resources, people and assets to make short-term wins and permanent gains for the town centre. More detail to follow soon. For information please contact richard@urb.ie
Projects: Fáilte Ireland (Irish Tourist Board) November 2011
Briefing Paper on implications of shared surfaces for destination/tourist town centres, its potential impact on the historic core, and its alignment with a broader picture of the management of the town centre (and as such the Tourist/Visitor product), visitor attractions and the day to day activities of the town centre.
Popuphood: How to Revitalize A Struggling Neighborhood In Six Months
“In September 2011, Dominguez and his friend Sarah Filley, an urban planner, teamed up to create Popuphood, a project that is giving five new retail shops the opportunity to get six months of free rent at previously vacant storefronts on one block in the neighborhood. Dominguez and Filley didn’t have to work too hard to convince the landlord that owns the storefronts to get on board. The spaces had been unoccupied for at least a year, and successful storefronts might stay put past the six month mark. The Oakland Redevelopment Agency, ever hopeful to revitalize downtown, pitched in with a $30,000 grant. And the pair have plenty of creative-minded contacts in the city, so finding tenants wasn’t too difficult.
It’s not as if the idea of pop-up storefronts is new. Cities across the U.S. have been populated in recent years with a slew of pop-up restaurants, stores, and even parks. Popuphood, which officially launched on December 9th, is offering something different: the opportunity to be part of a larger, newborn retail community.”