Town Centre Management

The research addresses a central tension of modern society between materialism and retail expansion on the one hand and growing environmental awareness on the other, during the 1970s and 1980s. It does so through a study of the operations of Marks and Spencer, with comparative reference to other leading retailers, principally Sainsbury’s and the John Lewis Partnership.

Marks and Spencer experienced a complex renegotiation of its relationship with the environment and resource use as it underwent rapid expansion and changes in the period 1968-1992. This has yet to be addressed by academics, especially in relation to the notable growth in environmental concern at this time. It is this changing retail context, as experienced by Marks and Spencer, coupled with the evolving significance of the broader environmental agenda, which this thesis addresses. It makes extensive use of the Marks and Spencer Company Archive to address the importance of the company’s changing commercial operations, its relationship with consumers, the government and British society more broadly, in shaping its approach to the environment and resource use.

The thesis contributes to existing academic literature concerning retailing and the environment by illustrating the extent to which the environment was a highly constructed and negotiated retail concern, which invariably predated the environmental fervour of the late eighties and early nineties and the subsequent commercial clamour to be seen to be green. The research addresses Marks and Spencer’s response to environmental issues, its energy conservation efforts, its retail store development, as well as the internal and external environments of its stores. It shows how the relationship between retailers and the environment was shaped as much by the outlook and operations of individual retailers and the changing nature of modern retailing, as it was the wider environmental agenda and growing popular concern.

Sono passati ormai più di dieci anni da quando sono stati avviati i primi Distretti come strumento di valorizzazione del commercio. I tempi, la dimensione quantitativa e qualitativa del fenomeno sono ormai tutti fattori che fanno pensare che il Distretto del commercio, da pratica socio-economico-culturale su base territoriale, sia diventata un elemento di politica attiva per il commercio di vicinato che vede coinvolte regioni, pubbliche amministrazioni, imprese, associazioni e altri soggetti locali.

Il volume illustra il fenomeno dei Distretti del commercio - con particolare riferimento all'esperienza regionale veneta - non solo evidenziando gli aspetti positivi e negativi che lo hanno qualificato, ma sottolineando anche la loro potenzialità per una strategia di uscita dalla crisi dovuta al Covid-19.

Di fronte alla necessità futura di ripartire da una prossimità di relazioni - attiva e non inerte - il Distretto rappresenta uno strumento per organizzare e accompagnare interventi di sistema per la ripresa, per promuovere le risorse del territorio, per riportare la fiducia esercitando la responsabilità del fare comune, per dare una risposta alla domanda di sviluppo che sale dal basso e un riconoscimento del ruolo svolto dagli attori locali.

Ciò significa, però, affrontare un "cambio di passo" che faccia evolvere il Distretto del commercio in un Distretto per l'innovazione e lo sviluppo locale.

Estratto dalla Tesi di Laurea Magistrale in Cinema: "Festival cinematografici e territorio. Identità, comunicazione e posizionamento di progetti culturali complessi", depositata presso l’Università degli Studi di Torino nel mese di Giugno 2015 (Scuola di Scienze Umanistiche - Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici).

The notion of the creative economy has gained cognisance in many countries over the last decade as part of strategic urban revitalisation and marketing frameworks. Culture-led urban regeneration has been instrumental in many European cities for recapturing investment, rejuvenating built environments and as a transformation mechanism for a transition towards a skills base more in tune with the knowledge economy . This progressive change has been exemplified by visionary policies introduced by cities such as Glasgow, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, where the creative industries played a key strategic role. Following a review of the cultural regeneration policies and practices adopted in the United Kingdom (UK) and Singapore, with particular emphasis on the strategic role of the arts and culture, this study explores cultural regeneration practices in London and Singapore with particular emphasis on the balance between social and economic needs building on previous research by

In this paper we start by outlining the continued decline of the small shop in Britain. The decline is seen as especially severe in the truly independent/non-affiliated sector and we look at trends in decline but also the methodologies used to analyse this. Since a key current theme in European integration policy is for exchange of experience and best practise we then report on how an EU-funded (ESF) project is seeking lessons and parallels in the small shop sector in Britain and Spain. By examining official government statistics we see how the sector is monitored in Britain and Spain and then identify one clear one common factor in the rise of organised town centre management. We suggest that future research may usefully begin to develop a more euro-centric approach ensuring that the small shop sector EU-wide learns from transnational experiences. Accordingly, we also present the preliminary findings from a transnational survey of small retailers. The paper ends with a summary of ways in which we have sought to bring together the experiences of small retailers in both countries. r

This landmark study builds on international practice and knowledge in urban revitalisation, city competitiveness, place branding and marketing, urban regeneration, tourism, retail and town centre management, among others to offer a multidisciplinary assessment of how town and city centres can compete and prosper sustainably by positioning themselves strategically on the basis of their 'DNA' or 'personality'.

The report offers a simple town centre 'personality' test linked to a typology of town and city centres. It also offers, for the first time ever in the UK, a national town centre performance framework linked to a do-it-yourself set of key performance indicators that anybody can use straight from the box without any previous knowledge of market research or statistical analysis.

In most shopping areas, there are place management partnerships (PMPs) that aim to increase the competitiveness of the area. Collective digital marketing activities, such as the adoption and update of collective websites and social media pages, provide opportunities in this regard. Currently, the extent to which digital marketing activities are being employed varies widely among PMPs. However, studies investigating the factors that influence the uptake of digital marketing activities are lacking. This study applies a resource-based view to fill this gap, using data from an online survey about collective digital marketing activities among 164 official representatives of PMPs in urban shopping areas in the Netherlands. Regression analyses were employed to examine the extent to which the resources of PMPs influence the adoption and update frequency of the two most often used digital marketing channels: websites and social media pages. The results revealed that while the adoption of collective digital marketing channels is strongly influenced by the physical resources that characterize the shopping area itself, the update frequency of these channels is influenced more by the organizational resources of PMPs. In addition, the strategic choice of PMPs to deploy human and financial resources for the benefit of collective digital marketing activities leads to increased use of these activities. This effect is reinforced by the fact that digital marketing skills gained through experience contribute to a higher update frequency of the adopted channels. As such, this study provides empirical evidence on the influence of PMPs shared resources upon their digital marketing activities.

For eighty years, UK government policy related to urban sprawl, town centres and high streets in England and Wales has been dominated by planning/land-use control. In the post-war period, retail developments have often been discussed in the literature on planning for places – but the wide range of pressures for retail change is rarely brought together. This review of policy discusses many of these pressures: many of which fall beyond the urban planning remit. For example, although retail planning regulations have been influenced by Central Place Theory, this theoretical framework offers no insight on those private sector businesses that interface with urban planning. Worse, few (if any) professional town planners study retailing before formulating plans. Furthermore, the willingness of successive governments to exert meaningful influence through planning rules has ebbed and flowed, leaving town centres at a potential crossroads. This study addresses the vital missing link to business operations – and the rising pressures upon them – using Institutional Theory. Building on the findings of this analysis as well as earlier studies from other parts of the world, this article outlines implications for the management of town and city centres in England and Wales.

Scientific consultant for cultural institutions. His main research interest is in the field of the theory of architectural and urban design. He publishes extensively in scientific magazines and has participated in several European research groups as coordinator or chief researcher. iStanbul: Continuity and tranSformation by Gianluca Frediani Traditional wooden house in Fener

This paper focuses on the perceptions of Andalusian retailers towards the current state of small independent retailing in their city/town and their feelings about the future. The paper reports on the findings of 70 structured interviews with small urban independent retailers covering retail districts in the town/city centres of Almeria, Ubrique and El Puerto de Santa Maria in Andalusia, Spain. Whilst some sub-sectors showed optimism and signs associated with business success (such as fashion outlets), others, especially traditional food retailers, saw the small retail sector as a sector en crisis. Within the methodology adopted, the interviewees become not only the suppliers of data about changes in the sector, but also the suppliers of meaning in terms of their perceptions as to why these changes are taking place.

International approaches to city centre management and place management practice have evolved considerably over the last 40 years. Parallel to this, there has been a rising level of interest among academics and practitioners alike in the concept of place branding. This paper explores some of the parallels and knowledge gaps in the development of both concepts from a practice as well as research perspective using published evidence from Europe and references to other parts of the world. It also argues that place branding will continue to increase in influence strategically as urban regeneration and management processes become more visionary and multidisciplinary in their strategic focus. The need for towns and cities to improve their resilience to future global downturns through innovative and entrepreneurial communities with a strong sense of attachment to their locations will also create a platform for strategic place branding to evolve and develop in a direction that has received as yet limited attention by academics, policymakers and key decision makers.

The world is becoming increasingly urban. Towns and cities compete regionally, nationally or globally to attract and retain visitors. They compete for investment, for leading thinkers and entrepreneurs, as well as for a diverse cultural and family-focused offer to enable existing residents to thrive sustainably. The way our town and city centres are managed is consequently gaining growing levels of recognition and interest.
Gone are the days when we could adopt a simplistic approach to
the development of our town centres by seeing them solely as
shopping destinations.

In this paper we start by outlining the continued decline of the small shop in Britain. The decline is seen as especially severe in the truly independent/non-affiliated sector and we look at trends in decline but also the methodologies used to analyse this. Since a key current theme in European integration policy is for exchange of experience and best practise we then report on how an EU-funded (ESF) project is seeking lessons and parallels in the small shop sector in Britain and Spain. By examining official government statistics we see how the sector is monitored in Britain and Spain and then identify one clear one common factor in the rise of organised town centre management. We suggest that future research may usefully begin to develop a more euro-centric approach ensuring that the small shop sector EU-wide learns from transnational experiences. Accordingly, we also present the preliminary findings from a transnational survey of small retailers. The paper ends with a summary of ways in which we have sought to bring together the experiences of small retailers in both countries.

A recent special issue of Scientific American proclaimed in its front cover “we have seen a brighter future, and it is urban”. Indeed, if current projections are anything to go by, 70 per cent of the global population will be urban by 2050.

Although our changing climate, war, famine, global pandemics, potential major environmental disasters and major changes in social geography may dent these predictions yet, this overall trend is rather unlikely to change dramatically. Today, a hundred of the world’s largest cities are responsible jointly for 30 per cent of global GDP and some thinkers would argue that these megacities will continue to drive growth and innovation into the future, often overshadowing the sovereign states they belong to though, by the same token, much of the population growth of large cities will come as a result of rising immigration from rural areas to the slums of Rio de Janeiro, the gecekondular of Istanbul and similar examples of shanty towns and urban sprawl, particularly in India and China ...

Key Words:
Mexico City, Mexiko Stadt, Città del Messico, Rascasuelo, grattasuolo, gratte-sol, earthscraper, earth-scraper, earth scraper, Bunker Arquitectura, Esteban Suarez, Zocalo, Arief Budiman, Herzog and De Meuron, heritage, patrimoine, centre-ville, place, Platz, square, Mexique

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of the management of traditional retail markets (TRM) in the UK. TRM are indoor and outdoor markets located in town and city centres across the UK, selling food, household goods, clothing and the like. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a comparative analysis approach of multiple cases using an analytical framework drawn from place management and retail business management literature. The study investigates 11 retail markets in the UK, including 7 run by Local Councils, 2 privately run and 2 operated by Charity Trusts. Findings The paper identifies the management challenges of TRM lying at the intersect between its private-like business entity and the management overseen by local authorities, whose roles and functions are mainly on delivering public services. Although some council markets struggle, it remains a popular model for TRM because it offers social space and inclusion which other types of markets l...

Una vez elaborado el Proyecto, “Las Áreas de Rehabilitación Integrada y sus efectos en la recuperación de los Espacios Urbanos Históricos”, concedido en la Convocatoria 2013, Modalidad 1, Proyectos de I+D, del Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia, con Referencia CSO2013-40688-P, así como evaluados, aunque parcialmente, algunos de sus resultados, procedemos a su difusión para que sea objeto de discusión y confrontación en el marco de la Comunidad Científica interesada en esta temática.

Esta publicación recoge, aparte del marco, institucional y técnico, en el que se ha desenvuelto el Proyecto, los trabajos realizados por cada uno de los equipos participantes relativos a las ARI localizadas en municipios pertenecientes cada una de las Comunidades Autónomas donde se han seleccionado y analizado el comportamiento y alcance de las mismas. En esta publicación, en concreto, prestamos atención a algunas ARI, las seleccionadas en esta ocasión, que se localizan en los Conjuntos Históricos de las Comunidades Autónomas de Cantabria, Cataluña, Valencia, Aragón, Castilla La Mancha, Navarra, Castilla y Andalucía.

La reconstruction de la ville de Dresde, détruite sous les bombes alliées en février 1945, constitue pour la compréhension du rapport entre idéologies urbaines, pratiques d'accommodation de celles-ci et esprit civique citadin, un cas particulièrement intéressant : chaque phase de la reconstruction est en effet le reflet et le produit d'une part d'un rapport spécifique entre idées de la ville et de son patrimoine architectural et culturel, idéologies et pratiques du pouvoir en matière de décision urbaine, et d'autre part accommodements de ce rapport avec la réalité sociale, économique, politique et civique. Le cas de Dresde permet également de mettre à jour certaines déclinaisons importantes des grands tournants de l'urbanisme européen, dans le contexte particulier d'une presque page blanche pourtant chargée fortement de symboles, images ainsi qu'investissements affectifs.

PurposeIl Cuore di Novi is an example of an innovative way of regenerating and revitalising a town centre in Italy in the face of intense competition from large out‐of‐town retail and residential developements. This has been achieved through a combination of research surveys linked to an organic approach to marketing strategy and effective engagement with the town's local authority and small‐ and medium‐sized retailers. The paper's aim is to discuss this development.Design/methodology/approachThis case study provides an example of retailer‐led town centre management in the Novi Ligure (Italy) and builds on previous work by Molinillo Jiménez, Sánchez del Río, Vilariño et al. and Coca‐Stefaniak et al.FindingsSouthern European models of retailer‐led town centre management, known in Italy as centro commerciale naturale and discussed by Valente, Zanderighi, Moras et al. and Codato et al. can be effective in competing with large out‐of‐town shopping centres through innovative plac...

Town centre management (TCM) has evolved considerably over the last 25 years in terms of both its purpose and methods. Whilst most reviews of TCM to date have focused on its development within the Anglo-Saxon world (typically North America and the United Kingdom), comparatively little attention has been given to other models of place and town centre management that have emerged across Europe. This paper seeks to redress the balance by exploring the relevance of other models from a number of European countries, which were researched using a case study approach and conceptualised within a framework which seeks to classify TCM schemes by their funding sources and structural formality. It is argued that, despite their lower budgets or lack of formal recognition, other models of TCM such as informal place management schemes or hybrids of formal and informal TCM schemes can often be just as effective in delivering positive outcomes for urban communities.

Urban revitalisation has been key to urban planning and the management of cities in Poland since the rebuilding of the country after World War II. It is only relatively recently, however, that strategic interpretations and practical applications of this concept have embraced its multifaceted nature beyond purely physical regeneration. Similarly, town centre management in Europe has evolved over the last 25 years from a reactive approach to the reinvigoration of urban areas increasingly under threat from global socio-economic trends to a strategic proposition with partnership working, competitiveness and sustainability at the forefront of its agenda. This paper briefly explores the parallels that exist in the historical evolution of place management and urban revitalisation within the Polish context and outlines a practical example of the development of one of Poland's first fledgling town centre management schemes in the country's second largest city, Łódź. Based on a bilingual analysis of current practice and published literature, this paper offers an insight into some of the opportunities and challenges facing the implementation of town centre management schemes in Poland as effective mechanisms for sustainable intervention at local level within the context of this country's ambitious plans for urban revitalisation.

Town centre management (TCM) has evolved considerably over the last 25 years in terms of both its purpose and methods. Whilst most reviews of TCM to date have focused on its development within the Anglo-Saxon world (typically North America and the United Kingdom), comparatively little attention has been given to other models of place and town centre management that have emerged across Europe. This paper seeks to redress the balance by exploring the relevance of other models from a number of European countries, which were researched using a case study approach and conceptualised within a framework which seeks to classify TCM schemes by their funding sources and structural formality. It is argued that, despite their lower budgets or lack of formal recognition, other models of TCM such as informal place management schemes or hybrids of formal and informal TCM schemes can often be just as effective in delivering positive outcomes for urban communities.

Scientific consultant for cultural institutions. His main research interest is in the field of the theory of architectural and urban design. He publishes extensively in scientific magazines and has participated in several European research groups as coordinator or chief researcher. iStanbul: Continuity and tranSformation by Gianluca Frediani Traditional wooden house in Fener

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of the management of traditional retail markets (TRM) in the UK. TRM are indoor and outdoor markets located in town and city centres across the UK, selling food, household goods, clothing and the like.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs a comparative analysis approach of multiple cases using an analytical framework drawn from place management and retail business management literature. The study investigates 11 retail markets in the UK, including 7 run by Local Councils, 2 privately run and 2 operated by Charity Trusts.

Findings
The paper identifies the management challenges of TRM lying at the intersect between its private-like business entity and the management overseen by local authorities, whose roles and functions are mainly on delivering public services. Although some council markets struggle, it remains a popular model for TRM because it offers social space and inclusion which other types of markets lack. The study also highlights that the environment within which TRM operate, such as policy, infrastructure, business and entrepreneurial aspects play an important role in influencing the performance of the markets.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the retail literature’s conceptual and empirical understanding of TRM management – the area which has been mostly neglected and under-researched. It offers an integrated analytical framework, including four dimensions of policy, infrastructure, business and entrepreneurial environment to advance the current limited understanding of this traditional form of retailing and sheds light on future research in this area.

The event begins with a drinks reception at 5:30pm for a 6pm lecture start.

After 45 years in retail during which time Bill was a Director at: Budgens, Tesco and a CEO of: ParknShop Ltd (Hong Kong's leading supermarket company), Wickes plc, Iceland Group plc and Focus DIY ltd, he entered semi-retirement in 2012. During that year he wrote and published a book called Sold Out "Who really killed the High Street" and in 2013, frustrated at the superficial nature of Government's attempts to address ailing High Streets, he assembled a team of 8 professionals and wrote and published, at a Parliamentary Reception in Westminster, The Grimsey Review " An alternative future for the High Street".

During 2014 Bill has been leading an advisory group to the Labour Party on the future of Town Centres and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration for his services to retail by UWE Bristol.

Bill has a web site: www.vanishinghighstreet.com

#HighStreets

Purpose – Town centre management (TCM) schemes in Spain have generally evolved primarily from a retail perspective, led by small and medium sized (SME) retailers. However, their development has often focused on business goals (e.g. profit, increase in footfall, etc). In doing so, they have often overlooked the very social issues that have embedded retail historically in the socio-economic matrix of our towns and cities. This paper, adopting a case-study approach, seeks to re-address this imbalance by exploring some of the key success factors of Gran Centre Granollers (GCG) – one of Spain's most advanced retailer-led TCM schemes located in Granollers (near Barcelona). Design/methodology/approach – This paper, adopting a case-study approach, explores some of the key success factors ofGCC.. Findings – GCG's visionary motto of “city, culture and commerce” and its inclusive approach to the management of the area's stakeholders have captured the imagination of the town's independent retailers (75 per cent of them are members of the scheme). It has also proved pivotal in engaging the town's residents with the scheme's vision, purpose and ethical values. This is reflected in the success of their customer loyalty credit card initiative and the steady growth of the scheme's membership from ten to three hundred businesses in the last ten years. Originality/value – This case study should be of interest to town centre managers, SME retailers, researchers in the social sciences and students of urban regeneration and retail management.