What does your place look like after dark. Are your historic buildings, waterways, art installations and other features highlighted. Is your town or city centre worth a late visit just to see them, and what’s its offer…?
In particular, from our #TheVacantShopsAcademy tackling #highstreet vacancy perspective, is that a route to explore for reducing the number of empty units you have.
An important part of this is of course residential, whether or not people are living here and if you’re making the most use of upper floors.
It’ll be about the night time economy and safety and travel home options too.
We’ve also had a great #placemaking conversation on getting vacancy down about uses that might have a day time and an evening offer combined. Examples might be…
+ butchers that becomes a restaurant in the evening;
+ a barbers with a bar;
+ bookshops that host book clubs, or author events or homework classes after what would normally be closing time;
+ art galleries or makers collective shops that host evening workshops;
You’ll have great examples in your own places to add.
So what’s your place like after dark, and how much is that a factor in your ‘place partnership’ work to get those empties back into play. It’d be great to hear…
The thought was sparked by an enjoyable and insightful visit to Grimsby (of which more in future posts) a town centre with, as you can see from the image set, lots to like on an evening stroll.
