Tag Archives: Planning

Scotland’s Towns Conference 2019

Posted on November 25, 2019 by

One of the now established features of Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Scotland’s Towns Week is the Annual Conference.  For many years it has been located in the Central Belt, but for 2019 it relocated to Aberdeen.  There are many good … Continue reading →

Posted in Aberdeen, Amsterdam, BIDS, Bids Scotland, Consumer Change, Cork, Creative Places, Development Trusts, Healthy Ageing, High Streets, Local Authorities, Localisation, Place Standard, Places, Policy, Public Realm, Retail Change, Retail Policy, Retailers, Scotland's Improvement Districts, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Government, Scottish Retailing, Small Towns, Streetscapes, Town Centre Action Plan, town centre first, Town Centre Living, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized, Urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trading Places: our Town and Country Planning Columns

Posted on August 8, 2018 by

In 2012 Anne Findlay and I attempted to take over from Professor Cliff Guy who had provided the Trading Places columns in Town and Country Planning for 12 years.  In the subsequent 6 years we have produced 23 columns, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Alcohol, BIDS, Bill Grimsey, Bookmakers, Consumer Change, Consumers, Farm Shops, Food Retailing, Government, High Streets, Internet shopping, Mary Portas, Places, Planning, Pop-Up Shops, Proactive Planning, Rates, Resilience, Retail Change, Retail Parks, Retail Planning, Retail Policy, Social Inequality, Town & Country PLanning, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shops opening and expanding, queues outside: the High Street picture that’s not making the national news

Posted on May 9, 2018 by

I recently had an exchange with Iain Nicholson around media coverage of the high street. it followed my recent diatribe about data. I have known Iain for a few years and admired the work he has been doing in towns … Continue reading →

Posted in Car Parking, Consumers, Creative Places, Government, High Streets, Independents, Local Retailers, Localisation, Oxfordshire, Places, Planning, Policy, Producers, Record stores, Retail Diversity, Retail Economy, Retailers, Small Shops, Small Towns, Spaces, town centre first, Town Centres, Towns, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Simplifying Town Centre Planning

Posted on December 9, 2015 by

There are many reasons why out-of-town development/greenfield development is the preferred option for many activities and development. Beyond retail we see cinemas, offices, hotels, sports facilities, schools – the list goes on – moving out of town centres. Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Governance, High Streets, Places, Planning, Proactive Planning, Public Realm, Regeneration, Retail Planning, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Government, Simplified Planning Zones, Streetscapes, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centres, Towns, Understanding Scottish Places | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Rescuing town centres in the light of changing retail trends’

Posted on July 7, 2015 by

Given it was the hottest July day ever in the UK, it was some relief for the audience at the latest National Retail Planning Forum (NRPF) seminar to be indoors in air-conditioned luxury at Carter Jonas, just off teeming and … Continue reading →

Posted in Milton Keynes, Newport, Regeneration, Retailing, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Are Retailers For?

Posted on June 26, 2015 by

My recent visit to Poland and the symposium on sustainable development discussion brought back memories from my first visit to Poland in 1987 and discussions we had there around retail location and the purpose of retailing. In that not quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Diet and Health, Legislation, Plastic Bags, Retail Levy, Scotland, Scottish Government, Tobacco | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Science Perspectives on the High Street

Posted on November 27, 2014 by

Early in 2014, Neil Wrigley from the University of Southampton, invited myself and my colleague, Anne Findlay, to contribute two short chapters to a forthcoming collection of pieces exploring social science perspectives on the Evolving High Street. In particular he … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Closure, Community, Competition, Consumer Change, Data, ESRC, Government, High Streets, Online Retailing, Regeneration, Resilience, Retail Planning, Town Centres, Towns, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stirling City Centre – what is its future?

Posted on October 9, 2013 by

Shameless Plug Time Next Monday 14th October at 1930 in the Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery  (home to the world’s oldest football) I am giving a public talk, the first in a series of three presented by the Stirling … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Heritage, High Streets, Historic Shops, Retailers, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Stirling, Town Centres, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Planning: Good, Evil or Just Tedious?

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

At the end of April, Planning Minister Derek Mackay published draft proposals for the third National Planning Framework (NPF3) and the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP).  These proposals could have significant impacts on what Scotland considers important and how it will … Continue reading →

Posted in Car Parking, Government, Places, Planning, Rates, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Town Centres, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment