Who has new education uses taking up vacant space on your #highstreet…?
It’s on our list of ‘alternative’ or maybe better, ‘additional’ go-to uses, alongside #retail, #hospitality & services: arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health and health & wellbeing, but we talk about it less, perhaps seeing the first and last of those as more promising, potentially easier to imagine how they might take on a town or city centre space.
But our sense is that education as a sector does have much more it could contribute to tackling vacancy…
Taking on empty units for extra classrooms or as a base for skills-based teaching and live briefs;
Siting a community hub or adult learning centre in a town or city centre where it’s more easily accessible because of the range of transport options already in place;
Do we have more scope to host nurseries or soft play, art classes and workshops;
Could empty units, un- and under-used upper floors or even existing businesses making use of down time host homework clubs, reading groups & more.
Those are just a few of the options. I’m sure #placemaking colleagues and those in the sector will be able to add others.
The question was sparked by seeing a chef academy and cookery school open up in a vacant unit in Poole town centre on a recent visit there.
It’d be great to hear your examples and suggestions…
