Category Archives: News Centre

“The 39 stops…”

🎥 …to borrow and adjust an old movie title. That’s how many places we visited with #TheVacantShopsAcademy in 2023, racking up what our app reckons is a decent CO2 saving. 🤔 Where next…? The majority of those visits were on … Continue reading

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Let’s go…

It feels like a huge year ahead for the #highstreet… 🤔 …what do you think…? From a #TheVacantShopsAcademy perspective it’s one we very much hope will see more places – councils or BIDs where there is one or a combination … Continue reading

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Why ‘audit, engage’…? Here’s why…!

So how are you going about tackling empty shops issues in your town or city centre…? 🤔 Do you need to demolish…? Will some have to be re-purposed to resi or office…? Maybe. Or might they re-let…? 🚈 We had … Continue reading

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#STC23

Wellbeing.” “Living Well Locally.” “People, place, planet.” 🤔 Which words and phrases do you most relate to our work in towns and city centres…? 💭 If we’d done a ‘word cloud’ of the early sessions of the 2023 Scotland’s Towns … Continue reading

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Bright Sparks…

Do you still have a large former-department store sitting empty in your #highstreet place…? 🤔 Are the discussions rolling on about re-purposing, future uses, splitting up, conversion…? Meanwhile you’ve a big, deteriorating, wasted space creating negativity, when instead…? Meanwhile…! ✨ … Continue reading

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Every picture…

Here’s a first, I think 🤔 🤳🏽 Out & about in a #highstreet location and got back with just one picture of a vacant unit in my phone library. …and it’s not that there weren’t any others. 🎨 It was … Continue reading

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A place agent…?

Should a #highstreet place, a town or city centre, have its own commercial agent…? …like an individual empty unit has but for all the vacants in that location. 🤔 It’d be interesting to hear what #property and #placemaking colleagues think…? … Continue reading

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Reasons to be…

“What reasons are there for optimism about our high streets…?” 🎤 It’s a question I was asked at a panel event this week, and every day since we’ve seen examples from different places that well illustrate my answer. You could … Continue reading

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A platform shared…

Two brilliant #placemaking case studies. The Oxford Road Stories. Hat District. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Thank you Reading, Luton. Often on these threads we talk about arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history, heritage as part of the ‘next steps’ narrative for town … Continue reading

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It’s Evolving. Isn’t it…?

🤔 What do you think…? Rarely a week goes by it seems without some ‘analyst’ or other trying to secure themselves media coverage with a cheap ‘death of the…’ shot at the #highstreet. This week was no exception…and the ‘study’ … Continue reading

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