Tag Archives: Scotland’s Town Centres

Towns, High Streets and Resilience: A Question for Policy?

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Leigh Sparks

“It is all too easy to talk about “bouncing back to where we were” without asking which “we” is counted and without asking whether “where we were” is a place to which a return is desirable”. (Vale, 2014, p198) Some … Continue reading →

Posted in 20 Minute Neighbourhood, Academics, CLES, Community, community wealth building, Covid19, Government, High Streets, Pandemic, Public Policy, Resilience, Retail Change, Retail Policy, Retailers, Retailing, Scotland Loves Local, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Government, Scottish Retailing, Social Renewal, Sustainability, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centre Action Plan Review Group, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Destination High Street – Restoring Vibrancy to Scotland’s Towns”

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

The invitation from the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and the Scottish Civic Trust was to present a keynote address to their conference on ‘Destination High Street’.  As both Professor of Retail Studies and Chair, Scotland’s Towns Partnership I … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, BIDS, Buildings, Community, Community Development, Consumer Change, Consumer Lifestyle, Creative Places, Design, Development Trusts, Environmental Quality, Government, High Streets, Historic Shops, Internet shopping, Local Retailers, Online Retailing, Places, Public Realm, Rates, Retail Change, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Small Towns, Social Inequality, Streets, Streetscapes, Tax, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centre Living, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Towns, Understanding Scottish Places, Urban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Things Happen in Towns

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

In retrospect it was a shame that the first Scotland’s Towns Partnership Roadshow was held in Galashiels earlier this week. Not of course, because it was Galashiels, but rather because the re-opening of the Borders Railway is still a few … Continue reading →

Posted in BIDS, Charrettes, Community, Development Trusts, Places, Regeneration, Relationships, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Government, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centres, Towns, Towns Typology, Understanding Scottish Places | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three Year ESRC Collaborative PhD Studentship Open for Applications

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Leigh Sparks

A few weeks ago I gave preliminary notice of our success in obtaining an ESRC Phd Studentship to study Scotland’s Town Centres. This is a three year collaborative award with myself and Anne Findlay as the Academic Supervisors and Matthew … Continue reading →

Posted in High Streets, Local Data Company, Longitudinal Data, PhD, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Town Centres | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early Warning: PhD Student Wanted!

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Leigh Sparks

One evening last week I had one of those great emails, bringing good news.  I had been successful in the ESRC Scottish Graduate School for the Social Sciences Collaborative Studentship Competition.  With only 10 awarded across the whole of Scotland … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Churn, High Streets, Local Data Company, Resilience, Retailers, Retailing, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Shopping Centres, Town Centres, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment