A wealth of material has been produced on high streets and town centres, and it can be hard for a newcomer to the issue to know where to begin. Here we have selected some of the resources we feel are particularly valuable or noteworthy.
UK resources:
AMT (Action for Market Towns) has a wealth of news, publications and good practice, including information about the Renaissance Market Towns initiative in Yorkshire. Some is available to members only, but there is plenty of publicly available material.
The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) similarly has an extensive knowledge bank and information about town centre management initiatives, the night-time economy and much more. Again, some is for members only. ATCM has also set up 100 Ways to Help the High Street and townteams.org
Empty Shops Network and Meanwhile Space both explore creative temporary and ‘pop-up’ uses of vacant space, and link to a host of useful resources including reports, advice and case studies.
Some of the most useful work on the built environment and wider use of town centres and public space was produced by Cabe Space, part of the former Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. The organisation was closed by the UK government in 2011, but comprehensive archives of its material are available through the National Archives.
The new economic foundation’s Re-imagining the High Street is one of the most important papers to be produced in recent years, providing an essential starting point for debate for town teams, retailers and local communities.
International resources:
The Project for Public Spaces is at the forefront of thinking about the urban environment in the US, and has developed many useful resources and case studies.
The Main Street movement is also very influential, making the case for traditional town centres and shopping streets in the US. Its parent organisation is the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Jan Gehl’s Cities for People blog, an offshoot of Gehl Architects in Copenhagen, is also well worth reading.