At every visit we make to one of our commissioned locations, we learn something new. Often, they are new ideas, innovations, and initiatives that we can share with local teams in other places.
We publish our findings in the News Centre and categorise each article as case studies. You can find our latest case studies below, but three notable examples are:
Aberdeen is a beacon for the way it has taken up the ‘place partnership’ approach to tackling vacancy on its central Union Street, particularly with its upper floors study and follow-on initiative. The impact it is having is something that we think other places with unused and underutilised upper floors (as an issue) could draw on for sure.
Crewe is an example of a place that has focused on arts & crafts, creative, culture and community uses in its initial work to tackle town centre vacancy. This is not to say that retail, hospitality, and services have not been part of the story too; they all have and will continue to be. What we call the ‘alternative’ or additional use types, however, are what we focused on to make a start on that road to reduce the number of empty units and build the momentum required to move others forward.
Tredegar is also tackling vacancy with a slightly different focus, working on ‘look’ initiatives including public realm, street furniture painting and other refresh work, plus creating stunning pieces of wall art. Their aim here is to improve the town centre environment to help attract customers and visitors, and to create a great first impression for new would-be business occupiers and investors.
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Wall art…
…what’s that got to do with filling empty shops…? Typically the ‘next steps’ we draft for #TheVacantShopsAcademy tackling #highstreet vacancy locations are only half about the empty units themselves. The rest are more general #placemaking topics: markets, street scene, events, … Continue reading →
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ArtSpace…
It’s just great to see. In Crewe town centre this week with #TheVacantShopsAcademy so a first chance to visit this new community-focused pop up art gallery, and talk to the ArtSpace team about their experiences so far and plans into … Continue reading →
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Street art, next gen…
Always enjoy our out & about time with #TheVacantShopsAcademy in Abertillery and Tredegar (and today also looking in on Brynmawr). Learned lots as ever with new #highstreet #placemaking projects to see (of which more in the next post). But struck … Continue reading →
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Railway town…
By chance out & about on successive days in locations that place branding specialists would I think include those two words in any brief for. 🚈 So while you’re in a town centre should you see references to its #heritage … Continue reading →
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Alternative or better still, ‘additional uses’…
Arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health, health & wellbeing. 🧶 How much of a role are these playing in your town and city centre. Does one of them have the potential to be a … Continue reading →
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Open in Crewe…?
Really excited to be able to play a part in the next stage of Crewe town centre’s revival… …especially as the heart of our role with #TheVacantShopsAcademy is exploring opportunities for #popupshop or ‘meanwhile… use’ of some of the empty … Continue reading →
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Go Aberdeen…!
An exciting and inspiring update this week from the tackling #highstreet vacancy-focused initiative on Union Street, Aberdeen. 💡 It’s a brilliant illustration of what can be achieved when a place – #property agents, landlords, businesses, community, council, BID, chamber – … Continue reading →
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Tredegar, Aberdeen, Totally Locally….
Some week that was… …and it’s why I love this job…! 💡 Three things, connected in a way and all of which taught us a lot. Tredegar is a #TheVacantShopsAcademy commission but a town centre where we’d thought our typical … Continue reading →
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Academy to lead ‘upper floors’ study for Aberdeen
A new drive to breathe fresh life into the upper floors of Union Street buildings is being launched by Aberdeen Inspired to help the ongoing campaign to regenerate the Granite Mile. The city centre Business Improvement District will commission a feasibility study to create … Continue reading →
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Feel very lucky…
…to have the opportunity to be starting work with two special towns. 🤳🏽 Running the ‘audit, engage’ phase of our #TheVacantShopsAcademy approach in Abertillery and Tredegar for Blaenau Gwent Council, but reflections on a first visit were about the strengths … Continue reading →
