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Street Management: Creating a Business Improvement District Making the Case for a New Approach to Managing Thomas Street Thomas Street is not the prime city thoroughfare it should be: this is evident for all to see. However, the street has strong institutions, companies, networks, heritage, communities and a multitude of innovators and ideas whose combined efforts can help to reshape and redefine the street. The challenge of reinvigorating and enhancing the street, within the limited resources available to the public and private sector is significant. It means that the only way that change can happen is at the small and incremental level. Whereas this is less attractive to larger-scale investors in the current climate, it can be a more attractive approach from the viewpoint of conservation of the built heritage, encouraging communityfocused urban regeneration, and exploring the potential for micro development of vacant sites. There is a clear need to create value and incentive for investment and renewal on Thomas Street. We believe that this can be best achieved when we start looking outside individual sites, and see the street as an organic living whole. It is comparable to the model of a shopping centre, only infinitely more complex, interesting and potentially lucrative. Incremental and small investments can make a big difference for an area. However, such initiatives should not be presumed to be, or allowed to be random events, dependent on the energy of individuals. Just as topdown regeneration can become ineffective due to bureaucracy and costs etc, bottom-up movements can quickly burn out through expending limited energy, resources and skills. A middle way approach is required.
Place Management Initiatives Area partnership is all encompassing. It extends from regulatory and legal frameworks, to third spaces, to the appearance and presentation of buildings, right down to the service offer available and responsibility for each element of this matrix. Effective partnership can influence and direct both public and private spheres and existing and evolving street fabric. If done well, this can achieve regeneration of the street, which is the catalyst for investment and improvements in the surrounding neighbourhoods. This is governance at the ground level, an approach which is now generally coined as Place Management. Place management initiatives need to be sustained for a 5 to 10 year period. This requires resources, commitment, professionalism, leadership and governance at the street level. The key initiative for any urban area is the establishment of public-private partnership. Informal Partnerships generally progress to more formal structures, such as Limited Companies or Trusts which provide a supportive legal framework for a business to operate. Ireland has adopted primary legislation specifically to support this type of area initiative in the Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act, 2006. By focusing on existing assets, above comprehensive regeneration, BIDs bring our attention to the level of the street. In essence “BIDs are an innovation intended to improve the conditions of city places by taking care of the small things that make up the larger picture�. Urban centres are complex places with a plethora of uses, ownerships and interests. BIDs effectively provide a legal vehicle to bring all parties together, to act through an incorporated company to improve the business area, and to make it more attractive, competitive and valuable. Thomas Street: Improving the Public Face of an Historic City Centre Street