Retail Space to Public Place: What is the role of the architect in shaping the future high street?

RETAIL SPACE TO PUBLIC PLACE

What is the role of the architect in shaping the future high street?

ARC566: Dissertation Final Submission Anna White 170204673

With special thanks to:

Simon Baker Zoe Christodoulou Julian Dobson

Dissertation Tutor Project Designer Every One Every Day Writer, Researcher + Consultant in Regeneration

Holly Doron

Architect + Researcher

AJ Haastrup

Project Designer Every One Every Day

Johnny Hayes MBE Stuart Homer Rowan Mackay Fiona O’Brien

Bishy Road Chairman 2007-17, Indie York Founder, Great British High Street Winner 2015 Gather Dudley Co-founder Senior Urban Design + Conservation Officer Broxbourne Borough Council Principal Towns Manager Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Jo Orchard-Webb

CoLab Dudley Associate

Lorna Prescott

CoLab Dudley Associate

Ruchit Purohit

Architect + Every One Every Day Researcher

Loraine Stockton Conference Speakers

Gather Dudley Co-founder Public Policy Exchange Conference

CONTENTS

No.1

No.2

No.3

No.4

Introduction

History of the High Street

Hidden High Street

Future High Street

Pages 1-3

Pages 5-11

Pages 13-27

Pages 29-43

No.5

No.6

No.7

No.8

Innovative High Streets

Role of the Architect

Conclusion

Bibliography

Pages 45-65

Pages 67-81

Pages 83-93

Pages 95-103

No.1 Introduction

INTRODUCTION The British High Street has “long provided the foundation on which our communities are built”1. From the local post office to the fashion store to the takeaway, every single person has a relationship with their high street as it is a “city’s most common public asset: everybody has one”2. As a result, it is impossible to ignore the cultural and economic value that our high streets contain. In London alone, “1.45 million employees work on or within 200 metres of a high street, and 47% of businesses outside Central London are on a high street.”3 However, as property rents rise and online shopping continues to rocket in popularity, “high street sales are falling at their fastest rate since the height of the recession in 2009”4.

Its decline is a current crisis with “more shop closures on our high streets than there are openings”5, turning countless previously thriving community cores into empty and depressing places. As “clone towns”6 have proliferated, areas across the country have long “lost their sense of place and the distinctive facades of their high streets, under the march of the glass, steel, and concrete blandness of chain stores”7, marking architecture’s role in the decline.

Even long-standing high street anchors, such as Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser and Debenhams, are now suffering closures and “nearly 22,000 jobs have been hit on the UK’s struggling high streets this year”8. Our high streets are extremely vulnerable and the livelihoods of thousands of people and buildings across the country are under threat.

Personally experiencing this urgent issue, desperate to take action, this dissertation proposes future forms of the high street and future roles for architects in its innovation. By providing a holistic view of past, present and future aspects of the high street according to prominent literature, discussions at a Public Policy Exchange conference entitled: ‘The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure’, and interviews with leading professionals, followed by personal analysis of three pioneering high street case studies, I hope to offer a thought-provoking, unique and future-focussed piece of research to stimulate the transformation of our high streets.

1 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, (Future Spaces Foundation, Mar 2014) p.66 < https://issuu.com/ futurespacesfdn /docs/the_future_high_street_-_fsf_-_sps > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 2 We made that and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, (GLA: Sep 2017) p.6 < https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ high_streets_for_all_report_web_final.pdf > [Accessed 04/07/2018] 3 Mark Brearley, ‘We want a city of high streets’, in We want a city of high streets, Cass Cities, London Metropolitan University, 1 Nov 2017, <https://hml.londonmet.ac.uk/assoc_files/90381992.pdf> [Accessed 04/07/2018] 4 Zoe Wood, Phillip Inman and Sarah Butler, ‘Alarm sounds over state of UK high street as sales crash’, The Guardian, Oct 2017 < https:// www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/26/alarm-sounds-over-state-of-uk-high-street-as-sales-crash > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 5 Laura Lea, ‘Five ways to fix our ailing High Streets’, BBC News, Nov 2017, < http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41916658 > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 6 Andrew Simms, Petra Kjell and Ruth Potts, Clone Town Britain, (London: New Economics Foundation, 2005) p.2 < https:// neweconomics.org/uploads/files/1733ceec8041a9de5e_ubm6b6t6i.pdf > [Accessed 21/09/2018] 7 Simms, Kjell and Potts, Clone Town Britain, p.1 8 James Graham, ‘High Street woes hit 22,000 jobs in 2018’, BBC News, 2 July 2018, < https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44676494 > [Accessed 04/07/2018]

“We’re in the most transformational period in the history of the high street”9 9 Alex Schlagman, ‘Save the High Street’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018

3

No.2 History of the High Street

HISTORY OF THE HIGH STREET To design the future of the ‘high street’, it is first important to thoroughly understand this phenomenon, through definition and in mapping its historical evolution. The London School of Architecture Adaptive Typologies Team define the high street as “equal parts a space of movement and a place of meeting, quieter than a main road but more connected than a town square.”10 However, valued much more than their physicality, successful high streets are “the heartbeat of their local communities”11 and are “places where so much of what we all share comes together”12. Recently, high street description has been reduced to “the principal shopping areas for most towns and cities”13, despite originally providing “office-based employment, as well as social, public service and leisure facilities”14. Consequently, I have devised the following definition to use throughout this dissertation:

High street A connected, linear artery of movement and meeting which physically and socially represents the centre of a locality and its community of businesses and residents, mainly containing uses for retail, trade and sometimes public services, with its length positively correlating to the population size it serves.

The following timeline illustrates the historical, fluctuating evolution of the high street through social, architectural, economic and technological lenses.

10 London School of Architecture, H is for High Streets, (London: LSA, 2017) p.6 11 Kay Andrews, ‘Foreword’, in The Changing Face of the High Street: Decline and Revival, (London: Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, June 2013) p.1 < https://content. historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/changing-facehigh-street-decline-revival/773_130604_ final_retail_ and_town_centre.pdf/ > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 12 Mark Brearley, ‘We want a city of high streets’, in We want a city of high streets, Cass Cities, London Metropolitan University, 1 Nov 2017, <https://hml.londonmet.ac.uk/assoc_files/90381992.pdf> [Accessed 04/07/2018] 13 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, (Future Spaces Foundation, March 2014) p.6 < https://issuu.com/ futurespacesfdn/docs/ the_future_high_street_-_fsf_-_sps > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 14 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.6

“High streets are in fact the key urban structuring idea for this century”15 15 Brearley, ‘We want a city of high streets’

7

HIGH STREET EVOLUTION

15THc

Middle Ages Market charters grant right to hold market

Rows of stalls evolve into shops in crammed narrow streets: Shambles are first versions of high street

1844-1900 The Co-op opens first store on ground floor of old warehouse, by 1900 cooperative trading is thriving

The Great Exhibition is held in Crystal Palace London and inspires century of the department store

1666

1750

1714

Great Fire of London causes mass street rebuild

Shops as ‘temples of commerce’ for wealthy, poor remain at market stalls

1851

1860

Railway transport links are improved: goods travel more easily across country

It becomes fashionable to consume and to have more than one ‘best’ outfit

Britain is centre for industry

1870-1901 Trade barriers disappear: imported goods are cheaper to buy

Iron frame and plate-glass windows are latest technology First electric street lighting installed in London, safer high streets

High Street Success Cultural Influence

Management

Shop Types/ Brands

1765 Lloyds bank opens on high street

1914

WW1 Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industry among most successful and productive in world: wellstocked shops, glittering window displays

1816

Architectural

1817

Notable increase in size of stylish shops with the skylight as an important feature

Halifax opens

1918

Technological Advancement

1920

Shoppers looking for good value, shopkeepers innovate to attract customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from taking on new goods to starting delivery services

1929

Mass-produced, cheaper car available: people can travel to shop Wall Street Crash: High unemployment + economic crisis: shops close

Economic Event

National Event

1820

WHSmith opens

Shop as showroom, opulent, domestic atmosphere, cultural activity for wealthy

1930s

1934

Lifts and escalators become instrumental in retailing, can now reach all floors, House of Fraser pioneers

Robert Lutyens consultant architect to Marks and Spencer plc, develops grid system to plan shop fronts for the company, giving all its stores a similar uniform design 9

1942-1945 WW2: Britain High street on brink transformed of era of by shortages, change, rationing, make emerging do and mend, from black market, difficult many shops times bombed or damaged

1998

2000s

Amazon launches paving way for online shopping

BIDs set up Mobile phones popular

Starbucks opens first UK store: clone + coffee culture

1957

1949

1955

First purposebuilt self-service supermarket opens + architects and retailers settle on standard town-centre supermarket design

Britain’s first pedestrianised shopping precinct opens in Coventry

1960s

Waves of immigrants bring new cultures and tastes – opening coffee bars, jukeboxes: tradition alongside modernity

Prime Minister speech: “Britons never had it so good”

Downfall of cooperative retailing

National multiples are “worst enemies of architecture”, ignoring local architectural traditions, post-war modernism unpopular

2008

2010

2011

2016

2018

UK recession

High street feels pressure of recession: ghost towns

London Riots

Brexit announced

18% retail online

Pop-up shops start appearing to combat failing retail All UK Woolworths stores close

BHS closes all Portas stores review published: Online shopping town Great British becomes popular teams + High Street + shops start to pilot towns Awards use social media set up launched

High street anchors close: rapid decline Environmental concern: waste free shops

1962 Suburbanisation: Shopping centres become common and out-of-town superstores begin opening

1970

Decade of consumerism: self-service shopping, women have more buying power, young Britain’s largest better off, shopping centre, the more luxury Bullring, opens in and gadget Birmingham stores

1973 Britain joins EEC, increasing trading Economic crisis and fuel shortages: 3-day working week

1980 Department stores do not do well, many close due to high rents

1990

1994

Internet Formation of Town Centre Partnerships

Fast-changing youth cultures Shops spark increase Boom in can legally in clothes out-of-town open on retailers shopping Sundays

Clone towns: high streets all look the same, dominated by multiples First Fairtrade products: ethical shopping important

The high street, although an everyday phenomenon, is a remarkable and complex form, directly affected by social habits, national events and technological advancements.

Rather than lone, passive objects, high streets should be recognised as “morphological events, historical sites of heightened temporal-spatial co-presence”16. Architecture has had significant influence via popular styles, design innovation, emerging typologies and brand expression. The corresponding role of the architect used to be far greater, once seen as the true shapers of localities, now restricted by economics and corporate power. Furthermore, the high street hasn’t always been successful, frequently having to reinvent itself to survive.

This leads me to conclude against the “myth”17 that the high street is dying. Instead the high street is a “loci of continuity and change”18 in need of an architectural and systemic revival to adapt to surrounding society and cultural trends.

16 Sam Griffiths, ‘The High Street as a Morphological Event’, in Suburban Urbanities ed. by Laura Vaughan, (London: UCL Press, 2015) p.50 17 Brearley, Mark, ‘The myth of the dying high street’, The Architectural Review, March 2015 < https://www.architectural-review.com/rethink/viewpoints/the-mythof-the-dying-high-street/8679040.article > [Accessed 03/04/2018] 18 Sam Griffiths, ‘The High Street as a Morphological Event’, p.50

11

No.3 The Hidden High Street

POLICY For the high street to evolve in parallel with cultural trends, the “appropriateness of current and emerging policy frameworks to respond to these trends at a spatial level”19 must be investigated. By conducting a detailed literature review and interviews with key council members and other high street experts, alongside discussions at the Public Policy Exchange conference, I have collated key policies and powers with the greatest high street influence, proposing future approaches.

BUSINESS RATES Business rates are charged annually on most non-domestic properties, such as shops, offices, pubs, and are based on the property’s ‘rateable value’, its open market rental value20. These high up-front costs, additional to rent, do not consider a business’ financial situation, making it difficult for them to open and retain high street premises. Relief can be accessed in varying quantities for small businesses, charities21, and for new-build unoccupied properties, but this is minimal and does not cater for existing properties of which there are a majority on the high street.

Future Policy At the conference, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated business rates are “not fit for purpose”22. There is a need for a review to examine whether rates should be “based on sales, rather than property”23 and “how frequently the revaluation should take place”24.

Empty Property Rates (EPR) also need reframing towards a system that “penalises those who keep property vacant”25.

What if business rates payers had a say in how their money is spent? Local initiatives could be supported with real place-based investment.

19 Department for Business Innovation and Skills, BIS RESEARCH PAPER NO.188: Policy Implications of Recent Trends in the High-Street/Retail Sector, (London: BIS, December 2014) p.1 < https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/high-street-and-retail-sector-recent-trends-and-policy-implications > [Accessed 19/08/2018] 20 Gov.uk, Business Rates, 2018 < https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates > [Accessed 19/08/2018] 21 Gov.uk, Business Rates, 2018 22 Helen Dickinson, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 23 Philip Brien and Chris Rhodes, Briefing Paper The retail industry: statistics and policy, (London: House of Commons Library, March 2018) p.17 < www.parliament.uk/commons-library > [Accessed 19/08/2018] 24 Brien and Rhodes, Briefing Paper The retail industry: statistics and policy, p.17 25 RICS, The UK High Street Policy Paper, Jan 2015, p.4 < www.rics.org/policy > [Accessed 19/08/2018]

Fig.1 Many shops are currently left vacant due to high business rates and rent

15

POLICY PLANNING High street change is restricted by slow planning permission processes and policies “seeking to protect...activities rather than promoting new activity”26.

Helen Dickinson, BRC, states that “use classes are not as relevant anymore, most [buildings] are a combination of uses”27. Only recently has planning permission been required for change of use to a betting shop or payday loan company28, meaning this unhealthy use now dominates many high streets. Furthermore, “70% of London’s high streets don’t fall within a town centre boundary”29 meaning the majority of high streets have “no formal policy designation and are potentially vulnerable to development pressures”30.

Future Policy New high street classifications are needed to acknowledge the “social value of high streets outside of town centre boundaries”31. Regeneration Consultant, Julian Dobson, argues for more “flexible regulation”32 with “local responsiveness”33 to introduce new activity more organically. Senior Urban Designer and Conservation Officer at Broxbourne Borough Council, Rowan Mackay, worries that looser permitted development rights can damage an area as it “removes the building from strategic planning”34. There needs to be a collective effort towards the high street, breaking away from a use class system enforced by a lone town manager. Locals need to get involved in Neighbourhood Plans and councils must resist damaging developer-led models of new-build leisure and retail complexes. New brownfield policies could stipulate development within high streets before building up external areas.

What if, as in Savannah, Georgia, (Fig.2) and written by Keller Easterling, “there was no town plan, but rather instructions for the town to grow by wards”35. Future planning could control activity rather than objects on a high street.

26 Department for Business Innovation and Skills, BIS RESEARCH PAPER NO.188: Policy Implications of Recent Trends in the High-Street/Retail Sector, p.5 27 Helen Dickinson, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 28 Designing Buildings Wiki, High Street (Planning and Policy), Oct 2017 < https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/ wiki/High_street_(planning_and_policy) > [Accessed 02/10/2018] 29 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, (London: Greater London Authority, Sep 2017) p.8 < https://www.london.gov.uk/ sites/default/files/high_streets_for_all_report_web_final.pdf > [Accessed 02/10/18] 30 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, p.35 31 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, p.43 32 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 33 Dobson 34 Rowan Mackay, interviewed by Anna White, 4 July 2018 35 Keller Easterling, in Samuel Medina, ‘Keller Easterling on Hacking the Operating System of Our Cities’, Metropolis, <https://www.metropolismag.com/cities/keller-easterling-hacking-operating-system-our-cities/> [Accessed 02/10/2018]

Fig.2 Savannah, Georgia, instructions for growth by wards, Keller Easterling

17

POLICY PARKING + TRANSPORT High streets easily and cheaply accessible by car “will increase viability...by improving trading for businesses”36, provide “animation”37 and attract a wider audience. However, this leads to higher traffic and negative environmental effect, ultimately deterring pedestrian visitors. Winner of Great British High Street Award, Johnny Hayes, advocates pedestrianised street events: “we had 20,000 people at one event...people utterly love it”38. However, lack of resources in highways departments are causing “delays because they’re so busy”39, preventing simple events to help revive the high street from going ahead. Conversely, Rotherham Council’s Sustainable Communities Coordinator believes their town centre is too pedestrianised as there are “too many little corners hidden away...it feels safer with buses and cars going by”40.

Future Policy Forward-thinking collaboration between councils and businesses is required such as “innovative schemes under which retailers can offer refunds on parking charges”41. However, for “unique heritage and assets to promote a distinct sense of place”42, policies should prioritise the pedestrian and sustainable forms of transport to stop high streets becoming solely “traffic arteries”43 described by urban writer and activist Jane Jacobs as “powerful and insistent instruments of city destruction”44.

We need to stop following conventional car-centric models if high street futures are to be sustainable.

36 Ojay McDonald, Re-Think! Parking on the High Street, (London: The Association of Town & City Management, 2013) p.7< https://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/Documents/Re-thinking_Car_Parking.pdf > [Accessed 02/10/18] 37 Johnny Hayes, interviewed by Anna White, 16 August 2018 38 Hayes 39 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 40 Rotherham Council Sustainable Communities Coordinator, interviewed by Anna White, 5 July 2018 41 RICS, The UK High Street Policy Paper, Jan 2015, p.5 < www.rics.org/policy > [Accessed 19/08/2018] 42 Department for Business Innovation and Skills, BIS RESEARCH PAPER NO.188: Policy Implications of Recent Trends in the High-Street/Retail Sector, p.12 43 Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (London: Jonathan Cape, 1962) p.352 44 Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, p.352

Fig.3 Popular street event on Bishopthorpe Road, York

19

POWER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined area in which a levy is charged on all business rate payers, used to develop local initiatives.45 By providing “secure funding”46 with an “entrepreneurial”47 mindset, BIDs become democratic “place shapers”48 of the high street, reportedly leading to benefits such as increased footfall, cost reduction, and area promotion49. In 2015, BIDs were given Community Right to Challenge for “running services of local authority”50 but care must be taken to avoid privatisation.

Future Power Future BIDs could include residents and landlords to encourage them to become “high street investors”51. Whilst Brexit is already affecting businesses on the high street with “cost of ingredients being a key challenge”52 for foodled venues, it is now crucial for businesses to work together towards a “sharing economy”53.

We must reform town teams to include multiple skills and stakeholders, not just businesses and local authority, but architects, social workers, residents, to create true ownership and shared prosperity.

45 Gov.uk, Business Improvement Districts, Nov 2014 < https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-improvement-districts > [Accessed 19/08/2018] 46 Paul Clement, ‘Welcome’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 47 Clement, p.16 48 Clement, p.16 49 Mark Sandford, Briefing Paper Business Improvement Districts, (London: House of Commons Library, 2018) p.4 < http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04591/SN04591.pdf > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 50 Gov.uk, Community Right to Challenge: statutory guidance, June 2012 < https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/community-right-to-challenge-statutory-guidance > [Accessed 02/10/18] 51 Mary Portas, The Portas Review, (London: BIS, 2011) p.5 < https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-portas-review-the-future-of-our-high-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 52 Kate Nicholls, ‘High Streets’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 53 Alex Schlagman, ‘Save the High Street’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018

Fig.4 Businesses protest closure of large Primark on high street, Rotherham

21

POWER LANDLORDS Councils now own few high street properties therefore “the role of landlords is crucial to the future success of town centres”54. At the conference, Julie Jones Evans, Isle of Wight Councillor, questioned: “How can we engage landlords who will take money for ‘unattractive’ businesses, like Poundland, rather than more interesting plans for markets etc?”. High street curation is a subjective issue, for example, Poundland isn’t ‘unattractive’ to everyone. Furthermore, whilst “most of investment in the high street is foreign”55, high streets deteriorate when the “landlords are so distant there’s no interest at all”56. Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) can save companies from insolvency57 but are controversial as “recent high-profile cases have allowed retailers such as New Look, Carpetright and Mothercare to impose rent reductions on landlords and to break leases to close some stores altogether”58.

Future Power To discourage landlords from leaving units vacant, local authorities should “explore further disincentives”59 and “make more proactive use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers”60 to obtain property without the owner’s consent.

Regeneration Consultant Julian Dobson calls for “reinforced policies that retain land value and ownership within communities”61 and for “policies that dampen down incentive to speculate and increase incentive to invest longer term”62.

Rowan Mackay believes there is a “role for councils to play in intervening in private landlords”63 including enforcing tenant selection processes which value social impact over financial offer.

If there was wider collective curation, landlords would be held accountable to the community, provoking a new system of high street liability.

54 Gov.uk, London to pilot greater property owner leadership in high streets, March 2014 < https:// www.gov.uk/government/news/ london-to-pilot-greater-property-owner-leadership-in-high-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 55 Kate Nicholls, ‘High Streets’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 56 Johnny Hayes, interviewed by Anna White, 16 August 2018 57 Gov.uk, Company Voluntary Arrangements, 2018 < https://www.gov.uk/company-voluntary-arrangements > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 58 Financial Times, Landlords slam ‘unfair’ high street restructuring process, May 2018 < https:// www.ft.com/content/dfd5fda6-602e-11e8-9334-2218e7146b04 > [Accessed 20/08/2018] 59 Mary Portas, The Portas Review, (London: BIS, 2011) p.6 < https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-portas-review-the-future-of-our-high-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 60 Portas, The Portas Review, p.6 61 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 62 Dobson 63 Rowan Mackay, interviewed by Anna White, 4 July 2018

Fig.5 Betting shops, pound shops and payday loan companies dominate Rotherham high streets

23

POWER LOCAL AUTHORITY Town management is key to success and incentives, such as The Great British High Street Awards, have been successful in encouraging change, giving 2015 winners “something to aim for”64. However, reduced council budgets, lack of resources, long chains of approval, and poor communication between departments and with the public, are restricting change, according to council interviewees. They support the conference recommendation that councils “need to realise their limitations and exert less control”65, and financial directors need to target “long-term social and economic value”66.

Future Power Local authorities should be “more transparent and open”67 with a “stronger appreciation of urban design”68. Julian Dobson claims there needs to be a “fundamental philosophical shift from understanding the inhabitants of a place as consumers to understanding them as citizens”69. Seeking ideas from the public and design practices “is where the potential lies to explore alternatives”70.

What if British citizens had more influence on local decisions than merely a vote? An urban room on every high street could be the platform for a refreshed local democracy, where residents collectively shape their localities with widespread participation.

64 Johnny Hayes, interviewed by Anna White, 16 August 2018 65 Rowan Mackay, interviewed by Anna White, 4 July 2018 66 Mackay 67 Rotherham Council Sustainable Communities Coordinator, interviewed by Anna White, 5 July 2018 68 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 69 Dobson 70 Mackay

Fig.6 ‘Live Works’ Sheffield’s busy Urban Room

25

CHAPTER CONCLUSION To enable innovation of the future high street, locals must be empowered to decide the future of their town alongside skilled place-makers. It must be a collective process where not one voice or body dominates, besides residents.

Policies must be flexible to suit local context as “no two high streets are the same”71 and all stakeholders must embrace an entrepreneurial “alternative mindset”72 to enact imaginative ideas that are not dependent on external funding. Holding projects accountable to the community and actively questioning conventional routes to development would change how high streets are shaped.

71 Mary Portas, The Portas Review, (London: BIS, 2011) p.15 < https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-portas-review-the-future-of-our-high-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 72 Dr. Jo Orchard-Webb, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018

Government Official

Community Worker Architect

Resident

Architecture Student (Author) Local Researcher

Councillor Resident

Resident

Fig.7 Collective design process with variety of stakeholders, including architects, residents and councillors, ASF Change by Design Workshop: Cape Town, 2018

27

No.4 The Future High Street

THE FUTURE HIGH STREET Perpetually suffering from an “over-dependence on retail”73, an alternative cultural shift is well overdue, and “the high street could become the place where we begin to build a more sustainable world”74. However, as the New Economics Foundation stresses, “the high street is so familiar that at times it can be difficult to imagine what an alternative model could look like”75. There is “no silver bullet”76, but after collating existing literature-based research, and primary data from interview responses and discussions at the Public Policy Exchange conference, it is clear that the key to the future high street is “not focusing on retail - there’s got to be another pull”77. The following six approaches have emerged as alternative proposals for future high street design.

1. INDEPENDENT HIGH STREET:

MARKETS + POP-UPS

The future high street should favour local, independent businesses as there is “a pride in local entrepreneurship, creativity and a sense of place that no national or multinational company has yet been able to superimpose on its target markets”78. In this respect, “council officers should take measures to protect traders’ independence”79 against monopolising brands. Introducing or supporting local markets can “bring life into town centres”80 through the creation of “a sociable space in which buying and selling take place surrounded by other activities...a space where your welcome is not determined purely by your ability to spend money”81. Marylebone High street has transformed due to its careful balance of independent and chain traders, curated by the family-owned Howard de Walden Estate82. However, this one-sided curation and success has inevitably increased property prices, creating a more exclusive area. Furthermore, “pop-up design projects are helping urbanites change the way they use and make the city of tomorrow”83 but there is a danger of gentrification as these ‘hipster’ ventures become fashionable. Overall, a collective and “more permanent strategic policy approach”84 is needed to ensure high streets remain accessible to all.

73 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, (Future Spaces Foundation, March 2014) p.66 < https://issuu.com/ futurespacesfdn/docs/ the_future_high_street_-_fsf_-_sps > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 74 Connected Economies Team, Re-imagining the High Street: Escape from Clone Town Britain, (London: New Economics Foundation, 2010) p.4 < https://neweconomics.org/2010/09/reimagining-high-street > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 75 Connected Economies Team, Re-imagining the High Street: Escape from Clone Town Britain, p.40 76 Paul Clement, ‘Welcome’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 77 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 78 Julian Dobson, How to Save our Town Centres, (Bristol: Policy Press, 2015) p.90 79 Greater London Authority, London Regeneration Fund Regen Bootcamp Summary Note, (London: GLA, 2015) p.9 <https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/lrf_bootcamp_summary_note.pdf > [Accessed 28/09/2018] 80 Dobson, How to save our town centres, p.51 81 Dobson, How to save our town centres, pp.54-55 82 Howard de Walden Estate, About the Estate, 2018 < https://www.hdwe.co.uk/about-us.aspx > [Accessed 25/09/2018] 83 Jeroen Beekmans and Joop de Boer, Pop-Up City, (Amsterdam: BIS, 2014) p.11 84 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, (London: 00:/, 2011) p.153

EPENDEN D IN T

“Independent traders won’t save the high street...but if we can activate the networks they are part of, the impossible can become possible”85

85 Dobson, How to save our town centres, p.103

31

2. HEALTHY HIGH STREET:

LEARNING + LIVING

In the current high street, “much of the local infrastructure that supports traditional forms of citizenship is being physically removed or closed (in the case of libraries, advice centres and youth facilities)”86. Public services must be reinstated in new forms “given their ability to strengthen high streets as key economic, service and transport hubs.”87 Universities and learning spaces should be designed into the high street as this is where the “positive impacts... are felt most acutely”88 so that “the town, village or urban neighbourhood can become the school rather than be separated from it”89. In a Scottish market town, “70% of people who came to the high street were also going to the dentist, the doctor, the opticians or other health related services”90. Accordingly, high streets could become health hubs, providing gyms, surgeries, and spatial capacities for the under-resourced NHS. Furthermore, “new homes can...make use of empty or underused upper-floors”91, including intergenerational care, for more central, integrated, sustainable living, responding to the housing crisis. However, one must acknowledge “the vulnerability of high streets to strip out, as residential now commands a higher property value in a huge range of locations”92 meaning residential use must not dominate.

86 Julian Dobson, ‘From ‘me towns’ to ‘we towns’: activist citizenship in UK town centres’, Citizenship Studies, 21, 8, (2017) p.5 < https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13621025.2017.1380605 > [Accessed 15/09/2018] 87 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.21 88 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.77 89 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, (London: 00:/, 2011) p.45 90 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.22 91 Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, The Changing Face of the High Street: Decline and Revival, (London: Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, 2013) p.63 < http://people-places.co.uk/the-changingface-of-the-high-street-decline-and-revival/ > [Accessed 07/01/2018] 92 Mark Brearley, ‘We want a city of high streets’, in We want a city of high streets, Cass Cities, London Metropolitan University, 1 Nov 2017 <https://hml.londonmet.ac.uk/assoc_files/90381992.pdf> [Accessed 04/07/2018]

H E A LT H Y

“By 2030, urban areas are projected to house 60% people globally”93

93 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, The World’s Cities in 2016, (New York: United Nations, 2016) p.2 <http://www.un.org/en/ development/desa/population/ publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_ cities_in_2016_data_ booklet.pdf> [Accessed 11/01/2018]

33

3. PRODUCTIVE HIGH STREET:

TECH + MAKE

Housing small-scale production on a digitally connected high street “could forge a resurgence of manufacturing and production”94 which has long been missing from our local communities, especially in former industrial towns.

Micro-brewing, 3D printing, tool sharing labs, are a few examples of “a new class of essential neighbourhood social infrastructure, plugged into global networks but adopted and adapted through local collaboration”95 that could revive the high street and offer employment opportunities. High Street Digital Labs could “provide a platform for digital consumer services for each community”96, alongside provisions for “clear public access Wi-Fi standards for consumer experiences”97, making the future high street home to both physical and digital creation.

94 Greater London Authority, London Regeneration Fund Regen Bootcamp Summary Note, (London: GLA, 2015) p.6 < https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/lrf_bootcamp_summary_note.pdf > [Accessed 28/09/2018] 95 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.51 96 Digital High Street Advisory Board, Digital High Street 2020 Report, (The Great British High Street, March 2015) p.5 < https://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/research-reports/digital-high-street-report-2020 > [Accessed 10/08/2018] 97 Digital High Street Advisory Board, Digital High Street 2020 Report, p.5

O PR

DUCTIV

E

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If so many agree that our society needs to make things again, how do we embed this in the everyday life of our places?â&#x20AC;?98

98 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.51

35

4. ATTRACTIVE HIGH STREET: PLACE-MAKING + ACCESS There is a “need to create distinctive, memorable places which are sensitive to historic character”99 as most high streets, “lack an identity”100. Visual enhancements and “a commitment to architectural excellence”101 can revive future high streets by “restoring, refreshing and updating shop-fronts, celebrating buildings’ architectural features, being adventurous with memorable decoration and signage”102, creating new high street typologies and adapting built fabric103. Whilst high street buildings are crucial to its revival, the “spaces in-between are what hold them together as a place”104 and need equally careful consideration. We should “champion high streets as public spaces”105, where the public can gather, not just move through, as collaborative activities such as “painting, planting or performing... can play a profound role in shaping perceptions”106. Renowned architect Jan Gehl recommends high street redesign in which “more people are invited to walk, bike and stay”107. Through simple changes to declutter high streets whilst retaining more playful interventions, they become more intergenerationally inclusive, inviting new uses.

99 Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, The Changing Face of the High Street: Decline and Revival, p.62 100 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 101 Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, The Changing Face of the High Street: Decline and Revival, p.62 102 Greater London Authority, Action for High Streets, (London: GLA, 2014) p.42 < https://www.london.gov. uk/ sites/default/files/GLA_Action%20for%20High%20Streets.pdf > [Accessed 25/08/2018] 103 London School of Architecture, H is for High Streets, (London: LSA, 2017) pp.38,40,47 104 Department for Communities and Local Government, Re-imagining urban spaces to help revitalise our high streets, (London: DCLG, July 2012) p.2 < https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/re-imagining-urban-spaces-to-help-revitalise-our-high-streets > [Accessed 10/08/2018] 105 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, p.9 106 Dobson, How to save our town centres, p.167 107 Jan Gehl, Cities for People, (Washington: Island Press, 2010), p.6

TR AT

ACTIV

E

“If people love parks and green spaces, let’s bring them into our town centres”108

108 Dobson, How to save our town centres, p.169

37

5. EXPERIENTIAL HIGH STREET: LEISURE + DIVERSITY High streets “need to provide a unique or different offer”109 and become a “destination”110 that will attract people for experiences they can’t find elsewhere or online. Facilities should no longer be built out-of-town, instead the ‘leisure centre’ will be dispersed on the high street. Urban writer and activist Jane Jacobs famously described the “ballet of the sidewalk”111 as crucial to street success meaning it must be “multi-purpose, multi-use and adapted to the local context”112. To encourage this, units need “a shorter frontage length, smaller building footprint, and higher plot efficiency”113 in a “distinct pattern that follows a spatial logic”114. Future design should also be “challenging the traditional roles of libraries, pubs, museums etc. beyond their traditional functions”115. If pubs were simultaneously workspaces or learning hubs in the mornings, this diversification of use and time could help prevent their all-toocommon closures, selling new experiences.

109 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 110 Andy Farrall, ‘Warrington creating the new city centre’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 111 Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (London: Jonathan Cape, 1962) p.80 112 UCL Transport Institute, Future of the high street, (London: UCL, 2014) p.4 < https://www.ucl.ac.uk/transport-institute/pdfs/future-high-street > [Accessed 01/10/2018] 113 Laura Vaughan, ‘High Street Diversity’ in Suburban Urbanities, ed. by Laura Vaughan (London: UCL Press, 2015), p.172 114 Laura Vaughan, ‘High Street Diversity’, p.155 115 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.20

E

ER P X

IENTI

AL

We must “think of the high street as a theatre”116

116 Greater London Authority, London Regeneration Fund Regen Bootcamp Summary Note, p.11

39

6. CIVIC HIGH STREET: COMMUNITY + CULTURE It is crucial to “champion high streets as social, civic and cultural infrastructure”117 and follow the Greek agora model in which the high street becomes “a multifunctional place that brings a community together...where there is a common cause between social betterment, civic provision and commercial success”118. Restoration of this civic element would allow “‘me towns’ of consumption to be reshaped as ‘we towns’ of coproduction”119.

In this way, we must “promote citizen-led regeneration”120, aiming for easily accessible, mass participation. An emerging form of this is the “civic economy – combining the spirit of entrepreneurship with the aspiration of civic renewal”121. Many civic economy projects are having a “tangible impact on social interactions and economic opportunities in cities, villages and towns.

They are even influencing the physical shape and appearance of these places, changing the way they are designed, built and used”122. New high street typologies include: communal gardens, tools sharing workshops, batch cooking kitchens, bicycle salvage bars, energy incubators, immersive theatres, creative writing sets, trade schools... If “the future of the high street is it’s people”123, we all need to become local activists, initiating participatory projects, building the new civic high street.

117 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets For All, p.9 118 Dobson, How to save our town centres, p.135 119 Dobson, ‘From ‘me’ towns to ‘we’ towns, activist citizenship in UK town centres’, p.15 120 We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets For All, p.9 121 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.3 122 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.3 123 London School of Architecture, H is for High Streets, p.55

CIVIC

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Local communities have a huge part to play in developing creative solutions to improve the physical and social fabric of the high streetâ&#x20AC;?124

124 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.75

41

CHAPTER CONCLUSION Imagine a place, no more than 10 minutes walk from your house, where you could cook and share a meal after attending a well-being clinic, participate in high street decisions before watching a street theatre performance, design a bespoke table at the 3D printing workshop then collect vegetables you’ve grown around the corner, take your child to swim class whilst you head nextdoor to learn a new skill. The Civic High Street is the future, re-centralising public needs and enjoyment, a platform for cultural expression and democracy.

It must be civic in its functions, creation, management and accessibility.

The following chapter details three case studies of civic high street projects in different forms, scales and stages of development across the UK to inspire similar innovation. Conducting interviews and observations, I analyse their social and spatial qualities and architectural involvement to investigate their high street impact.

“It is local places and local people... that must create the trajectories towards renewed, sustainable prosperity”125

125 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.169

1

2

3

Fig.8 Summary of case studies in Chapter 5

43

No.5 Innovative Civic High Streets

CASE STUDY 1:

GATHER DUDLEY Gather Dudley is a social enterprise aiming “to create a resilient community within Dudley town centre”126 by offering a high street platform to inspire, support creativity, and unlock opportunities.

Small scale project One high street unit

High Street, Dudley Former bank

Early stage 18 months in

No architects involved

Poor high street quality Many empty units Cars dominate

Active Citizen Fund Personal Investment Cafe Income

Social entrepreneurs x 2: Stuart and Loraine Community of Dudley Social Lab - CoLab Dudley: Dr. Jo Orchard-Webb and Lorna Prescott interviewed The Prince’s Trust Local Police Fairshare – food waste reuse Local suppliers

No support from local authority Council properties department backing out of property contracts Un-interested, distant landlord Denied Business Rate Reduction until campaigning from MPs

“The lease is in my name and Loraine’s but the citizens in Dudley they own this space” Stuart Homer 126 Loraine Stockton, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018

47

HIGH STREET SPACES ‘Gather’ knew they needed to be within Dudley Town centre for easy access, footfall and convenience and “being on the high street seems to be the magic”127. In 2017, they found a former Bank that had been empty for 9 years and now rent it from the private Londonbased landlord. Having renovated the building themselves, with help from the community, the collaborative home-made aesthetic communicates true shared ownership and hope in new purpose.

CAFE

LIVING ROOM

Difficulties Faced An unreliable council properties department forced the founders into more expensive private renting. The “landlord in London is not going to want to know about a social enterprise they just want their rent”, proving the longterm damage to an area of an un-interested landlord. Despite qualifying for Business Rates Reduction, this was denied until campaigning with local MPs eventually overturned the decision. Gather Dudley now aim to become an incubator for other new businesses to help them avoid these same difficulties.

“In a town like Dudley where there are so many empty shops, the first sign of success is that the lights are on and the doors are still open...For that positive reputation and people backing the ethos, then I think it’s an overwhelming success” Stuart Homer 127 Stuart Homer, interviewed by Anna White, 14 Aug 2018

WORKSHOP

OBSERVATIONS Involving an architect could improve the spaces by adding fenestration at the back to increase natural light for healthier working

GATHER GROW

Upcycled

PATIO Busy

Evidence of works-inprogress from the previous evening in the workshop and art space

LIVING ROOM

Tight rooms and corridors could be opened up to ease movement flows and to invite visitor through to back-ofhouse activities

WORKSHOP

STORE

KITCHEN

BOOK SHARE MEETING ROOM

STORE

Welcoming

CAFE

ENTRY

The external façade on the high street could be more welcoming by more inviting signage, decoration and architectural features

Stuart fabricated several cafĂŠ tables and chairs in the workshop on site from open source designs

Overheard: Conversations about further future high street projects

Activities: rain art to crochet to business meetings

The ceiling tiles were uniquely decorated with coffee sacks provided by their local coffee supplier who then commissioned personalised light diffusers to complete the ceiling covering = collaborative ethos 49

HIGH STREET SPACES Gather Dudley “shows potential for things to be different”128 having established a reputation, excited people about spaces, and changed the perception of how empty shops can be used. Now they intend to expand into other empty high street units and local park venue, and have secured Community Forum Funding to turn a piece of abandoned land behind an adjacent shop into a kids’ play area and community allotment. Although the rest of the high street is still struggling with empty units, Gather is having a rapidly growing impact in the community. This is reiterated by their colourful #redesigndudley street art, motivating locals to enact change. This convivial space for open conversation, creativity and collaboration leads the way in future high street offerings.

With a lot of “social disinvestment from the citizens and lots of negativity based around closed shops, fastfood outlets and bargain stores” this venue makes people think “this place could be something more” Stuart Homer

128 Stuart Homer, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018

ARCHITECTURAL INVOLVEMENT Architects were not involved in the bank’s re-appropriation as the co-founder enjoyed renovation and no structural work was needed. However, his colleagues describe him as an ‘unqualified designer and architect’ after creating everything himself, learning from online material, revealing the power of “democratising design”129.

The role of architecture here comes in shaping the signals being sent out about who is welcome. In repurposing spaces and materials that had been previously cast aside, an implicit message welcomes vulnerable users who can also find new purpose, as can the high street. “There is an invitation for everybody to be an architect in this space”130, reflecting the collaborative ethos of the enterprise and suggesting that architects need to integrate residents within the design process, embracing creativity from both sides. Architects could help increase success here by envisioning Gather Dudley as part of a wider scheme instead of a lone pioneer, encouraging a network to follow suit, supporting local movements such as #redesigndudley.

“Architecture becomes the canvas for a new narrative and a new culture to be formed” Jo Orchard-Webb, CoLab Dudley

129 Dr. Jo Orchard-Webb, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 130 Dr. Jo Orchard-Webb, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018

51

CASE STUDY 2:

EVERY ONE EVERY DAY Every One Every Day (EOED) is an initiative run by the Participatory City Foundation with the aim of creating “neighbourhoods made by everyone, for everyone”131 . The ambition is to improve community cohesion and resilience through access to collaborative activities within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham via two high street shops.

Large scale project Two high street units Borough-wide initiative

Barking: corner unit former Citizens Advice Bureau

Medium stage: One year completed Formed from previous research

Architects involved for second stage converting warehouse

Dagenham: former empty unit

Architects wanted Top floors inaccessible to less mobile residents More space needed More staff needed

Barking: high existing rating Dagenham: low existing rating

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Big Lottery Fund Esmee Fairbrain Foundation City Bridge Trust City of London BeFirst L&Q Mayor of London

Every One Every Day Project Team : Zoe and AJ interviewed Participatory City Foundation: Ruchit Purohit interviewed Community Council Local public services – library, community spaces, farm Everyone!

“The ultimate vision is that no one place functions as one thing, the high street now has to be a place that is conducive to learning at every level” AJ Haastrup 131 Tessy Britton, Ground-breaking £6.4m initiative to create largest ever participatory project in Barking and Dagenham, (London: Participatory City, 2017) <http://www.participatorycity.org/blog/2017/7/23/neighbourhoods-made-by-everyone53 for-everyone-multimillion-pound-initiative-set-to-launch-in-barking-and-dagenham-this-year> [Accessed 03/09/18]

LIVING ROOM

HIGH STREET SPACES The borough was chosen due to its significant social problems, location for future investment in East London, and supportive council. In setting up, the shops needed to be on or as close as possible to the high street, no more than 15-minute walk from local residents, in order for the scheme to be as visible and accessible as possible. Leased from the council, the two shops were initially set up with a modern but deliberately unfinished décor to allow organic growth and community coownership.

Difficulties Faced Full support of a forward-thinking council has meant there have been few difficulties.

Spatially, as the Dagenham shop space extends over three floors, upper floor activities have been inaccessible for less mobile residents, and popular activities have needed more space than is available.

“People may see us as this one-stop shop but it’s about creating those relationships and those networks to become more interconnected with your surroundings because that’s the building blocks for community” Zoe Christodoulou, Project Designer

FLEXIBLE SPACE

CHICKEN COOP ARTSPACE

Photos and art from community sessions decorate the spaces

DAGENHAM OBSERVATIONS ART SPACE

FLEXIBLE SPACE

Reconfiguring spaces could prioritise space for art activities over storage

Currently photography studio

STORAGE SPACE

Unfinished mismatched decor for shared ownership

WORK SPACE

More spaces to sit outside could be added and the space managed more effectively

ALLOTMENTS

CHICKEN COOP

Dark space at back for makeshift kitchen needs fenestration

‘LIVING’ ROOM

ENTRY External façade could be improved to increase attractiveness of the high street and allow extension outside during winter

Child waiting outside for EOED to open shows real demand and involvement

Access to upper floors only via narrow, steep staircase - architects could look at how to make this more accessible spatially and socially perhaps by networking with surrounding businesses to share spaces

55

COMMUNAL KITCHEN

WORKSPACE

MEET + INSPIRATION

BARKING OBSERVATIONS

Community artwork displayed

Much more could be made of the outdoor space which is currently unused by adding seating and play area for kids

OUTDOOR AREA

COMMUNAL KITCHEN

Spatial improvements to open up dark corridor could increase capacity, ease movement through the building and make back WASHING spaces more welcoming ROOM Architectural competition entries for ‘The Warehouse’ displayed for community input

Many residents participating in Batch Cook session, both adults and children

MEET SPACE

WORK SPACE

MEET SPACE

EXHIBITION MAKER SPACE

STAIR CORE TO PRIVATE RESIDENCE ABOVE

STORE

MEETING SPACE

Potential to expand next door

ENTRY Multiple people arriving

ART SPACE

Potential to take advantage of large pavement area at entrance

A table is being built

Discussions taking place

Welcoming Inspiration for new projects displayed

57

HIGH STREET IMPACT Since EOED opened, the high street has become livelier: “there’s more coming together, they’re borrowing each other’s equipment, people that live above the shops are spending more time outside”132, especially when extending activities onto the pavement. A way of continuing this year-round will need to be designed. The other businesses along the parade in Dagenham have not yet seen benefits, being mostly closed when I went to visit. At the Barking location, the surrounding shops were a lot busier, however, the unit directly next door was vacant. Hearing of the immense popularity and individual development case studies emerging from this project, alongside witnessing numerous residents arriving to take part in a Batch Cook session, proves EOED is having otherwise evident success. Alongside opening three more high street shops in the next year, perhaps further collaboration with the surrounding businesses is needed to ensure continued selfsustaining community.

ALLOTMENTS

BARKING

BARKING

“Let’s start loving what we do, let’s take pride in our community, let’s work together on this, let’s make the neighbourhood that we want to see, and that idea is something we can all add to”

BARKING

Zoe Christodoulou, Project Designer

132 AJ Haastrup, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018

DAGENHAM

ARCHITECTURAL INVOLVEMENT EVENTS PROGRAMME

BACK YARD DAGENHAM

Fig.9 The Warehouse chosen design by Public Works and Office of Crafted Architecture

An architectural competition was launched for the design of ‘The Warehouse’ (Fig.9), a large ‘makerspace’ freely open to all residents of the borough, to incubate small businesses or projects and host further events. The architects selected will now co-design with the residents to match their needs, contain flexible spaces for different projects and fit into the circular economy model, such as by recycling fabrics for insulation. Although architects weren’t used in setting up the shops, the project team recognised that “to have someone with an architectural way of thinking to help us utilise this space to its maximum capacity would be hugely beneficial”133. The project designers suggested “architects should be finding us, we shouldn’t find them. There should be a middle ground where we meet each other”134. Increased access and awareness of collaboration between entrepreneurs, residents, architects and other place-makers is needed for wider, longer-term benefits and to reveal valuable social resources.

133 Zoe Christodoulou, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 59 134 Haastrup

CASE STUDY 3:

BISHY ROAD ‘Bishy Road’ is a community project to revive the local high street, Bishopthorpe Road, in York after it became victim of the 2005 closure of nearby Terry’s chocolate factory, followed by the 2008 recession and construction of a new inner ring road, cutting it off from the city. Bishy Road hosts many independent businesses and won the Great British High Street Award in 2015.

Medium scale project One entire high street

Bishopthorpe Road, York High street scheme

Well-developed stage: Began in 2008

Architect consulted for future public realm design

Very high existing rating All shops occupied Attractive and busy

No external funding Membership fees £50-100/yr Public donations for decorations

Community Traders’ Association: now 110 members

Increasing fees for street closures Uninterested chain stores High business rates

Chairman 2007-17, councillor and shopkeeper: Johnny Hayes interviewed Local traders and businesses Residents and local community The Great British High Street Awards

“One can see that all units are occupied, there is high pedestrian footfall and the high street has become a ‘place’ rather than just an area to shop” Johnny Hayes, Chairman 2007-2017 61

New website Nov 2014. Improved social media

HIGH STREET SPACES The few remaining shopkeepers during the crisis set up a Community Traders’ Association, each contributing towards a website promoting the street and its businesses. The “eureka moment”135 came when they closed the road for a street party event, attracting hundreds of people. More businesses and supporters then joined the traders’ association, which now boasts over 110 members, each paying £50-100. The community also contribute, for example, by buying a Christmas light bulb each, decorating the street with a personal element.

These ingenious initiatives, involving the whole community, increase trust and improve the high street environment.

Difficulties Faced Recently, “things have become much more administratively difficult”136. Previously, there was no fee for a street closure but since a change of regime in the City Council and shortage of council funds, “a street party will now cost £3-4000 with £1500 just for stewarding”137. This makes the events, which are key to the high street success, increasingly difficult to continue. The few chain stores on the high street do not seem interested in the local prosperity and are difficult to motivate.

High business rates “are ludicrous. For our little shop, we pay £15,000 rent and £8,000 rates”138, potentially deterring new traders and impacting those existing.

135 Johnny Hayes, interviewed by Anna White, 16 August 2018 136 Hayes 137 Hayes 138 Hayes

From top: Fig.10 Bishy Road website Fig.11 Summer Party Poster Fig.12 Community Events Notice Board

ARCHITECTURAL INVOLVEMENT Using prize-money from the Great British High Street Award, an architect has been employed to create a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere via street layout, public realm and shared space. He has worked closely with the community by consulting before designing and offering speculative ideas rather than specific designs. This working method fits well with the Bishy Road ethos. However, meetings to discuss the proposals keep getting postponed by the council, making this external help frustratingly slow compared to the success achieved by the community alone.

Architects should aim to make the design process more efficient and accessible to communities, maintain enthusiasm and act as a mediator, bringing different voices together and balancing agendas. The existing architecture of the street (Fig.13) has also helped its success, promoting the value of spatial improvements.

Before being converted into shops in the 1920s, the high street was a row of Victorian terraced houses with front gardens

Fig.13 Bishopthorpe Road, 1900

The subsequent removal of the front gardens has given rise to a generously wide pavement, making it more attractive, safer for pedestrians and enabling cafes and grocers to spill outside The shop units are small which attracts independent shops rather than impersonal chains

Fig.14 Bishopthorpe Road, 2018

63

HIGH STREET IMPACT This project has transformed the high street without spending any public money or external resources in the process, enormously benefitting the locality physically, socially and economically. Each individual shop plays its part as “there’s nothing like a good business for making a nice place to live. Shopkeepers have this interesting effect, like good farmers they have an impact on the environment”139.

This managerial, creative and spatial collaboration seems to be the way forward in shaping the future high street. On a wider scale, the ‘Indie York’ project, is beginning to repeat the success of Bishy Road in other high streets around York.

The Pig & Pastry Independent Millie’s Grocers - Independent

Cameron Beaumont Opticians Independent

Angel on the Green Cafe Bar and Cycle Workshop Independent

139 Hayes

Hopscotch Shoes Independent

Thomas the Baker Independent

24hr Cash Chain

Fruitique and Debbie’s Flowers Independent

Frankie and Johnny’s Cookshop Independent

Trinacria Cafe & Wine Bar Independent

Rice Style Cafe - Independent

M&K Quality Butchers Independent

Rainbow House Chinese Independent

Age UK Charity

Costcutters - chain but acts locally as independent

Davison’s Independent

OBSERVATIONS Traders’ Associations could also include residents and local professionals e.g. architects to add further skills

One shop has only a minimal effect on its own, but as part of an association all working together there is huge impact

Lively, attractive, and promotes itself and other community activities, becoming a vital civic core

Pextons Hardware Independent

No through road used as stage space during events

Car has dominance public realm strategies could be beneficial

Robinsons Cafe Independent

Domino’s Pizza Chain

Lal Quila Restaurant Independent

Churchills Local Estate Agents

Bang Hair Salon Independent

Betfred Chain

Good Food Shop Independent

Evolve Hairdressing Independent

The Fisherman’s Wife Fish and Chips Independent

Joyous and social - a civic street

Bishopthorpe Road Pharmacy Independent

Small, human scale buildings help high street feel of ownership and community

Johnson’s Dry Cleaner’s Chain Renovation underway

Residential some Victorian houses retained

65

No.6 Role of the Architect

ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT Varying degrees of architect involvement in the previous three civic high street projects questions their role in evolving this future urban environment. Writer and Regeneration Consultant Julian Dobson argues whilst “traditional architectural function is quite important”140, the architect’s role must be recognised as “more than simply about design”141.

Whilst Chapter Four offered proposals for what to design, this chapter considers how to push this further. By interviewing key relevant architects and researchers, alongside my own analysis of the case studies presented, I have collated the following six roles for the architect to adopt in shaping the future civic high street.

SYSTEMS MAPPER + MATCH-MAKER To shape the future high street, architects are needed for their skills in “reconceptualising problems and devising creative solutions”142 and ability to visualise ideas as “most people can’t imagine something if they can’t see it”143. At the conference, architect and President of Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce Stephen Macaulay, suggested architects need “to map the high street at a micro level and look at the wider context to consider what to do with the town”144. However, they should not only map existing spaces and uses but also skills, knowledge and people, via a “network mapping exercise”145. In this way, architect and researcher Holly Doron describes architects’ future role as “match-makers”146. By introducing a person with a space to a person with a need, architects can be the key to shaping the future high street in a sustainable and civic way. Prominent architect and researcher, Indy Johar, states the “architect’s role is to open up conversations...looking beyond the archaic privatepublic debate”147 and outside project boundaries, seeing future users as the real client.

140 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 141 Dobson 142 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, (London: 00:/, 2011) p.181 143 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 144 Stephen Macaulay, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 145 Holly Doron, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018 146 Doron 147 Indy Johar, ‘Democratising Cities’, The Conference, Malmo, Sweden, Aug 2016

STAKEHOLDERS

BARNSLEY BOROUGH BARNSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

PENISTONE

CINEMA

FIONA O’BRIEN PROPERTY MANAGER FOR PRINCIPAL TOWNS PROJECT

TOWN HALL + PARAMOUNT

PENISTONE AGRICULTURAL SHOW

TOURISM

BARNSLEY CENTRE STEPHEN MILLER

TOUR DE FRANCE MAYOR’S PARADE

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR PENISTONE AREA

PENISTONE PRINCIPAL TOWN

TOUR DE YORKSHIRE

COUNCILLORS

TRANS PENNINE TRAIL

ANDREW MILLNER ROBERT BARNARD JOE UNSWORTH JILL BRAMALL KEVIN STEEL

PENISTONE TOWN COUNCIL

TESCO

MARKET BARN

RT

SPO

TRAN

YOUNG FARMERS

LIVE

LEISURE CENTRE

CAFES

YOUTH ZONE

BUTCHERS

PENISTONE

THE TEAM

PENISTONE FM ROUND TABLE

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

PENISTONE CHURCH

COMMUNITY GROUPS

BUSINESS TRADERS

LOCALS

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

TRAIN STATION STAGECOACH

SCOUTS + GUIDES

PENISTONE 1

CYCLE PENISTONE FARMERS

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Fig.15 Network mapping, PenistoneLIVE!, SSoA Live Project, by author

69

CO-DESIGNER Architects must combine their skills with those of the local community to become ‘co-designer’ of the future high street. Researcher and social lab ‘CoLab Dudley’ associate, Jo Orchard-Webb, argues that if architects can “bring the expert knowledge together with tacit knowledge, it can be incredibly beautiful, enabling, empowering and central to sense of ownership and agency to effect change”148. Traditional “patriarchal”149 community consultations on pre-determined schemes must be replaced by fully integrated co-design with the architect reaching out to excluded social groups, local police, local authorities, local businesses, academic institutions and public health specialists150. Architect and researcher Ruchit Purohit urges architects to realise when to step back and let others design: “are you hand-holding, are you enabling, are you empowering?”151.

One method is “not through strategic planning but through open-ended, agile, incremental and iterative practices”152. Indy Johar proposes a shift in design-thinking from “masterplans to movements”153 in which “design is no longer about designing the thing, you design the conditions for the thing to emerge”154.

“Involving a diverse group of stakeholders in the design process can only result in projects with higher and more sustainable levels of social, economic and environmental benefit”155

148 Jo Orchard-Webb, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 149 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 150 Institute of Health Equity, Healthy High Streets, (London: Public Health England, 2018) p.8 < https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/healthy-high-streets-good-place-making-in-anurban-setting > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 151 Ruchit Purohit, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 152 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.171 153 Indy Johar, ‘Democratising Cities’, The Conference, Malmo, Sweden, Aug 2016 154 Johar 155 February Phillips in RIBA, Unlocking the social value of design, (RIBA Architecture.com, May 2018) <www.architecture.com/ knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/unlocking-the-social-value-of-design > [Accessed 02/09/2018]

Fig.16 Co-design between future architect (author) and resident, ASF Change by Design Workshop: Cape Town, 2018

71

APPOINTED EARLIER AND LONG-TERM “Procurement practices and design criteria for public or community buildings and spaces need to go beyond ‘least cost’ considerations”156.

Instead, architects should be appointed more often, at the very beginning of a high street project and on a long-term basis. Architect and researcher Holly Doron works at APEC Architects where 75% of the work is with not-for-profit organisations. Prior to Big Lottery ‘Awards for All’ Funding, which allows charities to employ professionals to review land and buildings to benefit the community, APEC had mostly unsustainable, pro-bono work. Research must investigate how architecture practices can work with community high street projects, without relying on funding. Potential lies in Public Practice, a not-for-profit social enterprise placing architectural expertise in local authorities “to shape places for the public good”157.

“Illustrate the unique contribution that high-quality design and architecture can make in tackling some of today’s challenges”158

156 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.181 157 Public Practice, About, 2018 < http://www.publicpractice.org.uk/about > [Accessed 30/08/2018] 158 Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, p.8

Fig.17 Community project, ASF Change by Design Workshop: Cape Town, 2018

73

CIVIC ENTREPRENEUR “Developers, landowners, architects, local authorities and all others collaborating to improve places...can be and need to be civic entrepreneurs”159. Architects need to recognise the potential of the high street and actively search to be included within local conversations of change. For example, architect and educator at Bartlett UCL, Bill Hodgson, lives in Hoxton, London, an area which he feels “has been neglected and deserves to assert itself”160. As a result, he has started a crowd-funded project with architect Jan Kattein to “improve assets like Hoxton Street which contains a vibrant street market”161. Following this example, architects must become active citizens, “using their excellent design and thinking skills to be doing as much as they can”162 for their locality.

159 00:/, Compendium for Civic Economy, p.18 160 William Hodgson, Future Hoxton, (London: SpaceHive, 2018) < https://www.spacehive.com/ future-hoxton#/idea > [Accessed 10/09/2018] 161 Hodgson, Future Hoxton 162 Holly Doron, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018

Fig.18 Future Hoxton Project, High Street Urban Room, Jan Kattein Architects

75

ACTIVE LEARNER High street teams should “build partnerships with art and design schools to integrate low-cost high-quality design into [their] project”163.

Where Sheffield School of Architecture students worked on a Live Project in Penistone to help revive the town, client feedback revealed they provided “a clear vision”164 and a “professional element to bring ideas into reality”165 to “show real potential in the town”166. The RIBA should examine their education validation criteria to require social value teaching in all schools, including responsibility on high streets and strong “understanding of participatory designing”167. Additionally, education shouldn’t end once an architect is fully qualified. Holly Doron urges architects to carry out “more research in practice”168, place an “emphasis on the process of creating community cores”169, and “become less competitive and disseminate their knowledge”170, to revive high street roles across the profession.

163 Greater London Authority, London Regeneration Fund Regen Bootcamp Summary Note, p.14 164 Fiona O’Brien, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 165 O’Brien 166 O’Brien 167 Ruchit Purohit, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 168 Holly Doron, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018 169 Doron 170 Doron

RED ROUTE

COMMUNITY CENTRE

MARKET BARN

BLUE ROUTE TOWN HALL TRANS PENNINE TRAIL

TRAIN STATION

REBRANDING

WAYFINDING

REUSE

Fig.19 SSoA Live Project PenistoneLIVE! by author, participatory design with community and proposed vision

77

ADVOCATE OF SOCIAL VALUE Social value should drive design decisions on the future high street, rather than just architectural or economic. February Phillips, Associate at 5th Studio argues that “social value is as much about the processes of managing and implementing change in the places we live, as it is the end product”171. This could include working with “contractors who employ ex-convicts or people with no qualifications who learn on the job”172 to specifying “innovative, high-value local materials and products”173.

Since the 2013 Farrell Review, architects can be awarded CPD points for community work. However, this is a weak incentive and according to Holly Doron “more could be done in the RIBA code of conduct”174. She also recommends a review of the RIBA Plan of Work, particularly Stage 7 ‘In-Use’, to evaluate not just “technical performance and environmental efficiency but also the social and personal value, more qualitative outcomes.”175 It should be imperative for the architect to monitor community use of the building after it has been completed for continual adaptation.

171 February Phillips, Unlocking the social value of design, (RIBA Architecture.com, May 2018) < https://www.architecture.com/ knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/unlocking-the-social-value-of-design > [Accessed 02/09/2018] 172 Holly Doron, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018 173 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, p.116 174 Holly Doron, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018 175 Doron

Fig.20 Architect taking school children around the building site for their future school hall, teaching about the project and profession, committing to local social value, Mitchell Eley Gould, authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous workplace

79

CHAPTER CONCLUSION What if the future architect regained their role as powerful place shapers?

With such extensive expertise, architects are currently underexploited and should be regarded as much more than designers of buildings. Therefore, I have redefined the future architect: Existing definition: Architect A person who designs buildings and in many cases also supervises their construction176.

Future definition: Architect A multi-skilled person who adopts a systems-thinking approach to analyse activity, society and holistic development of a locality, collaborating with citizens to create a coherent vision to improve their future.

By looking beyond the needs of the client and the building alone, “architecture can be harnessed as a tool to express civic pride”177 on the future high street. Crucially this begins with sparking local conversations including as many different skills as possible. Significantly, the government has recognised that architecture is one of these skills, this year appointing a new expert panel to advise on the future of the high street which includes Sophia de Sousa, CEO of architectural charity GlassHouse Community Led Design178. Architects should therefore influence policy and movements, not just single unit ideas. The RIBA should provide applicable incentives and new code of conduct clauses and each architecture practice must reassess their approach, becoming “active experts”179 collaboratively engaging with their local high street.

176 English Oxford Living Dictionaries, Architect, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018) < https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ definition/architect > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 177 Ike Ijeh, ‘Architects bring life back to our high streets’, BD online (July 2014) < https:// www.bdonline.co.uk/comment/architects-bring-life-back-to-our-high-streets-/5069619.article > [Accessed 01/09/2018] 178 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Jake Berry MP, Expert panel appointed to advise on the future of the high street, (London: Gov.uk, July 2018) < https://www. gov.uk/government/news/expert-panel-appointed-to-advise-on-the-future-of-the-high-street > [Accessed 29/09/2018] 179 Doron

Collaborative Design

Systems thinking

Networked Development

Coherent Vision

FUTURE ARCHITECT

Fig.21 Future Architect

81

No.7 Conclusion

THE VISION No longer a place for retail, the future high street will be a civic stage for genuine public space, mixed uses and architectural diversity. A new asset-base for the community180, it will house participatory projects from communal gardens, tools sharing workshops, 3D printing labs, to batch cooking kitchens, gyms, and hubs for learning and working. No more satellite, single use centres, everything will be high-street-centric for maximum diversity, activity and efficiency. An Urban Room will anchor every high street where members of the community regularly shape their locality. The High Street is redefined: High Street A connected, linear artery of movement and meeting which physically and socially represents the centre of a locality and its community containing diverse uses and civic functions, collaboratively created, maintained and shaped by the population it serves.

Architects are crucial in realising this vision, able to spark local conversation, collate a multitude of voices into a coherent proposal, influencing policy regulation, breaking away from use classes, working with BIDs, forming new multi-disciplinary town teams and revolutionising neighbourhood plans. The scale of their involvement needs to increase from focusing on one building to encompassing entire networks, communities and movements, engaging with â&#x20AC;&#x153;deeper philosophical issues about the right to the cityâ&#x20AC;?181. They must challenge conventional schemes and cut-and-paste solutions, ensuring social, contextual value is embedded in each project. However, vitally, this is not a lone mission. As Bernard Tschumi states, architecture is not defined by its formal container, but rather by its combinations of spaces, movements, and events182. People who are passionate about places need to join together and proactively collaborate to evolve the future high street, valuing creativity and skills from all participants.

Architects can offer so much more than physical design and the potential of combining architect, local, policy and power cannot be underestimated.

To conclude, I will directly apply the findings of this dissertation to a site-specific reality in a proposal for Rotherham High Street, South Yorkshire. This offers a tangible example of the role the architect can play in shaping the future high street as a visual and personal method to test and utilise my research.

180 Julian Dobson, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 181 Dobson 182 Bernard Tschumi Architects, History, Bernard Tschumi Architects < www.tschumi.com/history/ > [Accessed 29/09/2018]

Fig.22 Future Civic High Street

85

SITE-SPECIFIC APPLICATION ROTHERHAM Rotherham has one of the highest retail vacancy rates in the country, yet the council recently announced a masterplan for a new-build retail and leisure development just outside the town centre. My proposal offers an alternative to this developer-led approach, showing that architects should push against this norm, be more involved in local conversations, look to address wider social problems and tap into wider area networks. Collaborating with multiple council departments, women’s charities, local residents, shopkeepers, health experts and “ D ep r i va t i on i n initial Rot h erh a m has in creased built environment professionals, from brief to final design, the project is truly w i t h t h e Boro ug h n ow w i t h in the 16% most collective. dep r i ved di s t ri c t s i n En g l an d”

12% 28%

ROTHERHAM VACANT RETAIL OUTLETS 2016 (75 out of 268)

R EPUTATI O N

UK VACANT RETAIL OUTLETS 2016

Fig.23 Rotherham statistics

“ a

p l a c e

d e f i n e d

b Y

t r a g e d Y

a n d

s c a n d a l ”

Fig.24 Rotherham 2014 headlines on child abuse scandal - wider social problems to address

inspire

pUrpose

i n t e g r at e

Play + create

Employ + showcase

Communal dining space, shared mixed uses

Life skills taught intergenerationally

e d Ucat e

Hidden refuge living space, health + advice, safe sanctuar y

sUpport

E MP OWE R M E N T B RI E F

“we don’t want this to paralyse rotherham...”

“there are still complications around healthy discussions...”

“we want to be proud to be from rotherham”

“there’s still always a sense of apprehension...”

“for people within the town it’s still raw...”

“it’s now what rotherham stands for...”

Fig.25 Collaborative area research and brief creation SUFFERING

“what’s going to come next?”

87

CIVIC PROPOSAL After identifying a large empty retail unit that has swallowed up the heart of the high street, the proposal gives new life to an existing building through multi-use, intergenerational and green spaces. The ‘high street health hub’, initially one example building, would subsequently occupy the whole street, offering a wide variety of activities and balanced community opportunities.

B EYO ND THE FAC AD E

3

2

proposed bUilding ‘HIDDEN HOUSE’

proposed bUilding ‘HIGH STREET HEALTH HUB’

4

1

Fig.26 Overall design proposal, Rotherham

eXisting bUilding CONCRETE fRAME

proposed bUilding ‘COMMUNAL HOUSE’

SECRET GARDEN

HIGH STREET HEALTH HUB

Fig.27 Atmospheric collages of proposed high street spaces

SEMIPUBLIC

PUBLIC

89

CIVIC VISION If this new generation of civic projects became the norm on the high street, part of a coherent vision and network shaped through collaborative systems thinking, perhaps the real golden era of the high street is yet to come.

REACTIVATED HIGH STREET

HEALTH DELI + EDUCATION SUITE ABOVE

PUBLIC HEALTH HUB

CRECHE + HEALTH SERVICES ABOVE

SECRET GARDEN

P R I VAT E

PUBLIC TO PRIV

From top: Fig.28 Civic High Street Section Fig.29 Civic High Street Vision

HIDDEN HOUSE TYPE 2

SHARED COURTYARD GARDEN

HIDDEN HOUSE TYPES 1 + 3

QUIET SENSORY GARDEN

CAMOUFLAGED PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL ACCESS

VATE: REVEALING THE HIDDEN HOUSE LONG SECTION 1:100

91

“So long segregation, garden cities, drive-in garden centres, drive-to shopping centres, town and leisure centres, community centres and neighbourhood centres. Hello high street places, lynch pin of the new metropolitan spirit, an organic refreshing of the civic, a bold way forward for the city of continuities and of mix and extrovert and shared city.

We thought we would have to hunt far and wide but here it is on Tottenham High Road, the big urban idea for the current century - the city of high streets”183

183 Brearley, Mark, ‘We want a city of high streets’, in We want a city of high streets, Cass Cities, London Metropolitan University, 1 Nov 2017, <https://hml.londonmet.ac.uk/assoc_files/90381992. pdf> [Accessed 04/07/2018]

93

No.8 Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY 00:/, Compendium for the Civic Economy, (London: 00:/, 2011) < https://issuu.com/architecture00/ docs/compendium_for_the_civic_economy_publ > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, The Changing Face of the High Street: Decline and Revival, (London: Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, 2013) < http://people-places.co.uk/ the-changing-face-of-the-high-street-decline-and-revival/ > [Accessed 07/01/2018] Anderson, James, Saving the High Street, TEDxTalk online video recording, YouTube, 2014 < https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=L_YN65mlLoA > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Baren, Maurice, How it all began up the high street, (London: Michael O’Mara Books Ltd, 1996) BBC, Turn back time: The High Street, online video recording, BBC iPlayer, 2010 < www.bbc. co.uk/ programmes/b00v7p71 > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Beekmans, Jeroen and de Boer, Joop, Pop-Up City, (Amsterdam: BIS, 2014) Bernard Tschumi Architects, History, Bernard Tschumi Architects < www.tschumi.com/history/ > [Accessed 29/09/2018] Brearley, Mark, The myth of the dying high street, The Architectural Review, 2015 < https://www.architectural-review.com/rethink/viewpoints/the-myth-of-the-dying-highstreet/8679040.article > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Brearley, Mark, ‘We want a city of high streets’, in We want a city of high streets, Cass Cities, London Metropolitan University, 1 Nov 2017, <https://hml.londonmet.ac.uk/assoc_ files/90381992.pdf> [Accessed 04/07/2018] Brien, Philip and Rhodes, Chris, Briefing Paper The Retail Industry: Statistics and Policy, (London: House of Commons Library, March 2018) < www.parliament.uk/commons-library > [Accessed 19/08/2018] Britton, Tessy (ed.), Designed to Scale, (London: Open Works, 2015) < http://www. participatorycity.org/report-the-research/ > [Accessed 11/04/2018] Britton, Tessy, Ground-breaking £6.4m initiative to create largest ever participatory project in Barking and Dagenham, (London: Participatory City, 2017) < http://www.participatorycity.org/ blog/2017/7/ 23/eighbourhoods-made-by-everyone-for-everyone-multimillion-pound-initiativeset-to-launch-in-barking-and-dagenham-this-year > [Accessed 03/09/18] Britton, Tessy, The Illustrated Guide to Participatory Cities, < https://issuu.com/participatorycity/docs/illustrated_guide_-_issuu_version/2> [Accessed 11/04/2018]

Christodoulou, Zoe, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 Clement, Paul, ‘Welcome’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Connected Economies Team, Re-imagining the High Street: Escape from Clone Town Britain, (London: New Economics Foundation, 2010) < https://neweconomics.org/2010/09/reimagining-high-street > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Department for Business Innovation and Skills, BIS RESEARCH PAPER NO.188: Policy Implications of Recent Trends in the High-Street/Retail Sector, (London: BIS, December 2014) < https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/high-street-and-retail-sector-recent-trendsand-policy-implications > [Accessed 19/08/2018] Department for Communities and Local Government, Re-imagining urban spaces to help revitalise our high streets, (London; DCLG, 2012) < https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ re-imagining-urban-spaces-to-help-revitalise-our-high-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Designing Buildings Wiki, High Street (Planning and Policy), Oct 2017 < https://www.designing buildings.co.uk/ wiki/High_street_(planning_and_policy) > [Accessed 02/10/2018] Dickinson, Helen, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Digital High Street Advisory Board, Digital High Street 2020 Report, (The Great British High Street, March 2015) < http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/pdf/Digital_High_Street_Report/ The-Digital-High-Street-Report-2020.pdf > [Accessed 07/01/2018] Dobson, Julian, ‘From ‘me towns’ to ‘we towns’: activist citizenship in UK town centres’, Citizenship Studies, 21, 8, (2017) <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/ 13621025.2017.1380605> [Accessed 15/09/2018] Dobson, Julian, How to save our town centres: A radical agenda for the future of high streets, (Bristol: Policy Press, 2015) Dobson, Julian, interviewed by Anna White, 14 September 2018 Doron, Holly, interviewed by Anna White, 29 August 2018 Easterling, Keller, in Samuel Medina, ‘Keller Easterling on Hacking the Operating System of Our Cities’, Metropolis, <https://www.metropolismag.com/cities/keller-easterling-hacking-operating-system-our-cities/> [Accessed 02/10/2018] English Oxford Living Dictionaries, Architect, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018) < https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com/ definition/architect > [Accessed 03/10/2018] 97

Farrall, Andy, ‘Warrington creating the new city centre’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Financial Times, Landlords slam ‘unfair’ high street restructuring process, May 2018 <www. ft.com/content/dfd5fda6-602e-11e8-9334-2218e7146b04 > [Accessed 20/08/2018] Future Spaces Foundation, The Future High Street, March 2014 (Future Spaces Foundation, March 2014) < https://issuu.com/ futurespacesfdn/docs/ the_future_high_street_-_fsf_-_ sps > [Accessed 07/01/2018] Gates, Theaster, ‘How to revive a neighbourhood: with imagination, beauty and art’, TED Talk, Vancouver, March 2015 Gehl, Jan, Cities for People, (Washington: Island Press, 2010) Gov.uk, Business Improvement Districts, Nov 2014 < https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-improvement-districts > [Accessed 19/08/2018] Gov.uk, Business Rates, 2018 < https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates > [Accessed 19/08/2018] Gov.uk, Community Right to Challenge: statutory guidance, June 2012 < https://www.gov. uk/government/ publications/community-right-to-challenge-statutory-guidance > [Accessed 02/10/18] Gov.uk, Company Voluntary Arrangements, 2018 < https://www.gov.uk/company-voluntary-arrangements > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Gov.uk, London to pilot greater property owner leadership in high streets, March 2014 < https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ london-to-pilot-greater-property-owner-leadership-inhigh-streets > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Graham, James, ‘High Street woes hit 22,000 jobs in 2018’, BBC News, 2 July 2018, <https:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44676494 > [Accessed 04/07/2018] Greater London Authority, Action for High Streets, (London: GLA, 2014) < https://www. london.gov.uk/ sites/default/files/GLA_Action%20for%20High%20Streets.pdf > [Accessed 25/08/2018] Greater London Authority, London Regeneration Fund Regen Bootcamp Summary Note, (London: GLA, 2015) < https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/lrf_bootcamp_summary_note.pdf > [Accessed 28/09/2018] Griffiths, Sam, ‘The High Street as a Morphological Event’, in Suburban Urbanities ed. by Vaughan, Laura, (London: UCL Press, 2015) Grimsey Review Team, The Grimsey Review, 2013 < http://www.vanishinghighstreet.com/ wp-content/uploads/2016/03/GrimseyReview04.092.pdf > [Accessed 08/01/2018]

Haastrup, AJ, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 Hayes, Johnny, interviewed by Anna White, 16 August 2018 Holub, Barbara, and Hohenbuchler, Christine (eds.), Planning Unplanned, (Austria: VfmK, 2015) Homer, Stuart, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 Howard de Walden Estate, About the Estate, 2018 < https://www.hdwe.co.uk/about-us.aspx > [Accessed 25/09/2018] Ijeh, Ike, ‘Architects bring life back to our high streets’, BD online (July 2014) < www.bdonline. co.uk/ comment/architects-bring-life-back-to-our-high-streets-/5069619.article > [Accessed 01/09/2018] Institute of Health Equity, Healthy High Streets, (London: Public Health England, 2018) <www. gov.uk/ government/ publications/healthy-high-streets-good-place-making-in-an-urban-setting > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Jacobs, Jane, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (London: Jonathan Cape, 1962) Johar, Indy, ‘Democratising Cities’, The Conference, Malmo, Sweden, Aug 2016 Jones, Peter, Roberts, Marion and Morris, Linda, Rediscovering mixed-use streets, (Bristol: Policy Press, 2007) < https://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/default/files/jrf/migrated/files/2018-mixeduse-streets.pdf > [Accessed 06/04/2018] Lea, Laura, ‘Five ways to fix our ailing High Streets’, BBC News, Nov 2017, < http://www.bbc. co.uk/ news/uk-41916658 > [Accessed 07/01/2018] London School of Architecture, H is for High Streets, (London: LSA, 2017) Macaulay, Stephen, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Mackay, Rowan, interviewed by Anna White, 4 July 2018 McDonald, Ojay, Re-Think! Parking on the High Street, (London: The Association of Town & City Management, 2013) < https://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/ Documents/Re-thinking_Car_ Parking.pdf > [Accessed 02/10/18] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, ‘Policy paper 2010 to 2015 government policy: high streets and town centres’, GOV.UK < https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-high-streets-and-town-centres/2010-to-2015government-policy-high-streets-and-town-centres > [Accessed 17/04/2018]

99

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Jake Berry MP, Expert panel appointed to advise on the future of the high street, (London: Gov.uk, July 2018) < https://www. gov.uk/ government/news/expert-panel-appointed-to-advise-on-the-future-of-the-high-street > [Accessed 29/09/2018] Morrison, Kathryn A., English Shops and Shopping, An Architectural History, (London: Yale University Press, 2003) Nicholls, Kate, ‘High Streets’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 O’Brien, Fiona, interviewed by Anna White, 27 June 2018 (Dr.) Orchard-Webb, Jo, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 RICS, The UK High Street Policy Paper, (RICS, Jan 2015) < www.rics.org/policy > [Accessed 19/08/2018] Romero, Taylor, Technology will change retail shopping, TEDxTalk online video recording, YouTube, 2016 < https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TuD3IerTOms> [Accessed 03/04/2018] Rotherham Council Sustainable Communities Coordinator, interviewed by Anna White, 5 July 2018 Phillips, February, in RIBA, Unlocking the social value of design, (RIBA Architecture.com, May 2018) < https://www.architecture.com/ knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/ unlocking-the-social-value-of-design > [Accessed 02/09/2018] Portas, Mary, The Portas Review, (London: BIS, 2011) < https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/the-portas-review-the-future-of-our-high-streets > [Accessed 07/01/2018] Prescott, Lorna, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 Purohit, Ruchit, interviewed by Anna White, 23 August 2018 Sandford, Mark, Briefing Paper Business Improvement Districts, (London: House of Commons Library, 2018) p.4 < http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04591/ SN04591.pdf > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Schlagman, Alex, ‘Save the High Street’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Schumacher, E.F., Small is Beautiful, A study of economics as if people mattered, (London: Vintage, 1993) Sheffield City Council, Housing and Regeneration, Sheffield City Council, < https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/sheffield/home/planning-development/housing-neigh-

bourhood-regeneration.html > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Sheffield City Council & Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield & Rotherham Joint Retail & Leisure Study, (Leeds: GVA.CO.UK, 2017) Simms, Andrew, Kjell, Petra and Potts, Ruth, Clone Town Britain, (London: New Economics Foundation, 2005) < https:// neweconomics.org/uploads/files/1733ceec8041a9de5e _ ubm6b6t6i.pdf > [Accessed 21/09/2018] Specht, Maurice and Britton, Tessy, Community Lover’s Guide, 2018 < http://www.communityloversguide.org/ > [Accessed 11/04/2018] Stockton, Loraine, interviewed by Anna White, 14 August 2018 Taskforce, Beyond retail: Redefining the shape and purpose of town centres, 2013 < http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/pdf/Beyond-Retail.pdf?2 > [Accessed 07/01/2018] The Great British High Street, The Great British High Street Awards 2015, 2015 <http://the greatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/high-street-of-the-year-award-2015 > [Accessed 03/04/2018] UCL Transport Institute, Future of the high street, (London: UCL, 2014) < www.ucl.ac.uk/transport-institute/pdfs/future-high-street > [Accessed 01/10/2018] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, The World’s Cities in 2016, (New York: United Nations, 2016) <http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/ publications/ pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_ booklet.pdf> [Accessed 11/01/2018] Vaughan, Laura, ‘High Street Diversity’ in Suburban Urbanities, ed. by Laura Vaughan (London: UCL Press, 2015) Vaughan, Laura (ed.), Suburban Urbanities, (London: UCL Press, 2015) We Made That and LSE Cities, High Streets for All, (London: Greater London Authority, 2017) < https://www.london.gov.uk/ sites/default/files/high_streets_for_all_report_web_final.pdf > [Accessed 02/04/18] Wilkinson, Philip, Turn back time: The High Street, (Quercus Publishing: 2010, London) Wilkinson, Tom, ‘Typology: Shop’, The Architectural Review, 2017 < https://www.architectural-review.com/rethink/typology/typology-shop/10022969.article#.WsP5XPd1aAU.twitter > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Wood, Zoe, Inman, Phillip and Butler, Sarah, ‘Alarm sounds over state of UK high street as sales crash, The Guardian, Oct 2017 < https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/26/ alarm-sounds-over-state-of-uk-high-street-as-sales-crash > [Accessed 07/01/2018] Young, Eleanor, ‘Now for the solo’, RIBA Journal, 2018 < https://www.ribaj.com/culture/nowfor-the-solo-nick-johnson-profile > [Accessed 03/04/2018] 101

ILLUSTRATIONS Front cover: Author’s own All photos and drawings are author’s own unless otherwise stated below: High Street Evolution Timeline pp.8-11: Drawings author’s own, information gathered and interpreted from: Baren, Maurice, How it all began up the high street, (London: Michael O’Mara Books Ltd, 1996) BBC, Turn back time: The High Street, online video recording, BBC iPlayer, 2010 < www.bbc. co.uk/ programmes/b00v7p71 > [Accessed 03/04/2018] Clement, Paul, ‘Welcome’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018 Morrison, Kathryn A., English Shops and Shopping, An Architectural History, (London: Yale University Press, 2003) Wilkinson, Philip, Turn back time: The High Street, (Quercus Publishing: 2010, London) Fig.2: Savannah, Georgia, Ward Unit, 1777 in White, Mason, ‘Urban Slot Machine: A conversation with Keller Easterling’, Archinect (2018) < https://archinect.com/features/article/41816/ urban-slot-machine-a-conversation-with-keller-easterling > [Accessed 07/10/2018] Fig.3: Stevan Noon, The Tour de France Grand Départ arrives in Bishy Road, 2014, in ‘After 20 years, ‘Mr Bishy Road’ leaves the street he took to the top’, YorkMix, (Oct 2018) <https:// www.yorkmix.com/business/after-20-years-mr-bishy-road-leaves-the-street-he-took-to-the-top/> [Accessed 05/10/2018] Fig.6: University of Sheffield School of architecture, Live Works, (Sheffield: Live Works 2016) <http://live-works.org> [Accessed 02/10/2018] Fig.7: Wang, Fuli, ‘Design conversations’, ASF UK Change by Design Workshop: Cape Town 2018, participation by author Fig.8: (1) Gather Dudley, ‘Gather Dudley CIC’, [Facebook post] 16 July 2018 <https://www. facebook.com/gatherdudleycic/photos/a.313567379009799/664698190563381/?type=1&theater > [Accessed 06/10/2018] (2) Every One Every Day logo, in London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Every One Every Day hosts free events programme this summer, 2018, <https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/news/everyone-every-day-hosts-free-events-programme-this-summer> [Accessed 07/10/2018] (3) Bishyroad.net, ‘I love Bishy Road’ [Twitter post] (@bishyroadnet, June 2010) < https://twitter.com/bishyroadnet > [Accessed 07/10/2018] Top photo p.52: Christodoulou, Zoe, Every One Every Day Dagenham, 2017, sent to author via email

Fig.9: Public Works and Office of Crafted Architecture, The Warehouse, 2018, in Every One Every Day, The Warehouse, (2018) < https://www.weareeveryone.org/the-warehouse > [Accessed 03/10/2018] Fig.10: Hayes, Johnny, New wesbite Nov 2014, in ‘The story so far...’, in The Future of British High Streets and Town Centres: Working in Partnership to Revitalise Essential Social Infrastructure, The Strand Hotel, London, 23 June 2018, p.19 Fig.11: BishyRoad, ‘Announcing the Bishy Road Summer Party with the Bishy Barkers Dog Show fun competition!’, [Facebook post] 31 May 2017 < https://www.facebook.com/bishyroad/photos/a.534335169921406/1510700138951566/?type=3&theater > [Accessed 04/10/2018] Fig.13: Imagine York, Scarcroft Road looking towards Bishopthorpe Road in the early 1900s, in Lewis, Stephen, ‘OLD PHOTOS: 9 of York a century or more ago’, YorkPress (Jan 2017) <https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/15011057.OLD_PHOTOS__9_of_York_a_century_or_ more_ago/> [Accessed 07/10/2018] Fig:15: PenistoneLIVE!, Stakeholder map, SSoA Live Project, 2017 (Author’s own) Fig.16,17: Kreibich, William, ‘Co-design’, ASF Change by Design Workshop: Cape Town 2018, (Cape Town: June 2018), participation by author Fig.18: Jan Kattein Architects, Future Hoxton, ‘Action Planning Workshop’, ‘Participants with Model’ and ‘Future Hoxton shopfront’, (2018) <http://www.jankattein.com/portfolio-item/future-hoxton/> [Accessed 07/10/2018] Fig.19: PenistoneLIVE!, ‘Participation event’ and ‘Vision for Penistone’, SSoA Live Project, 2017 (Author’s own) Fig.23: Author’s own interpreting statistics from: Sheffield City Council & Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield & Rotherham Joint Retail & Leisure Study, (Leeds: GVA.CO.UK, 2017) Fig.24: Author’s own adapted from The Paper Boy, ‘The Front Pages of national newspapers 27/08/2014’, (2014) in Boyd, Iain, Being Heard: A Thematic Analysis of the Newspaper Media Response to the Jay Report and the Rotherham Child Abuse Scandal, (Dissertation, July 2015) p.8 <https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/100964/msc-dissertation-exam-no-183587.pdf> [Accessed 07/10/2018]

WORD COUNT Word count: 6,623 (Excluding contents, titles, references, footnotes, figures, bibliography and appendix)

103

APPENDIX

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Stuart Homer and Loraine Stockton Company: Gather Dudley

1.

Date: 14/08/18 Role: Co-founders

Can you summarise what Gather Dudley is, what one can do here and why you set it up please?

A: We set it up to help vulnerable people in Dudley, started social enterprise because we wanted to be able to change our direction at any point, worked in charities before where we knew that you had to meet certain charitable aims, we can now steer that ship. Work with organisation called Fairshare – food waste for struggling families. Trying to reduce isolation by bringing communities together and helping those communities do things to make Dudley vibrant and making them feel like they belong to that community, which helps them have more resilience. As a mission statement “to create a resilient community within Dudley town centre.” We plan to do that by offering a platform – this space – to inspire people, allow creativity, encourage people to venture down paths they normally wouldn’t take if we weren’t here. Crafternoons, café, workshop, growing garden. Support networks set up through these activities. Rather than us being a service provider, the community runs it themselves from our base.

2. Why was this location on the high street chosen? How did you acquire the spaces?

A: We knew we needed to be within Dudley Town Centre, easy access for people, case studies based around footfall on high street, “being on the high street seems to be the magic”. A lot of people won’t go out their way, convenience. Come in for a coffee, find out through conversations about other projects – soft introduction. Can dip your toe in or get fully involved.

People invest when they see things actually happening. Researched town, went to lots of coffee shops to look and hear about offers, looking at what was available. We tried to go through council, we found this really hard just because they took so long – messed us about for about 6 months. Properties dept. There were 3 separate instances where they said we could sign contract at the end of the week and they backed out of it at last second. When two people come to you and say we’ve got an idea, people don’t want to invest in the idea, they want to invest in the actual thing that’s happening. Personal investment – having the confidence that this could work. Empty bank before for 9 years – saw agent’s sign in window, approached private landlord. Quite expensive for what it is but a landlord in London is not going to want to know about a social enterprise they just want their rent. They had no qualms about want we wanted to do with it.

3. Who have you been working with to set up these spaces?

A: No, just us! Lots of different interesting stories – ceiling tiles – covered in coffee sacks from our suppliers’ roaster. Got relationship with coffee guy – he brought in coffee sacks. He was so impressed with how we’d done the tiles he commissioned the diffusers for the lights. For everything we’ve done there’s a little story. Pallets on the counter – from warehouse. Pallets on the wall came from central reservation of dual carriageways. To everything you do for it to be of any value, there needs to be a real story. Tools in workshop was a collective of people saying “I’ve got a this, do you want it?”. All of this stuff is about a community building it. The lease is in my name and Lorraine’s, but the citizens in Dudley they own this space. That’s your future of high streets is having something like this. You can make Costa look like this but it hasn’t got the story of the pallets. There’s a sterilisation of interaction between people. When you go to a coffee chain, “this is my space”. Here, all of these people know each other just through this space.

4. Have you worked with any architects during the scheme? If so, at what stage were they involved? If not, why were they not involved?

A: No, didn’t need to and wanted to do it all myself for that satisfaction. No structural work. From our side, I’d like to do it all myself as that’s the thing that excites me.

5. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? Please describe what you think this is or could be?

A: Yes, I definitely think there’s a role within changing the shape of towns. I think it’s essential that things are tailored to people’s needs. Just because we’ve been able to do it ourselves doesn’t mean that everybody would do that.

6.

What effect does this shop/space have on the high street/community?

A: Shows potential for things to be able to be different There’s lots of social dis-investment from the citizens and lots of negativity based around closed shops, empty retail units, fast-food outlets, pound shops, bargain shops. If I was to describe Dudley – it’s a market town with a castle and zoo – from that end why would it not be tourist attraction? but I don’t think everybody sees that. I think this space probably gives people that “ok this place could be different, it could be something more”. [Nothing yet following our lead along the high street.] First stage of this social enterprise task is to establish itself. 18 months in we’re getting to that point. Not to establish self in the way of being a buoyant business but as in we have a reputation for doing things a bit differently, exciting a few people about spaces, changing perception of how empty spaces should be used. Properties dept at Lloyds Bank enthused by using back piece of land for kids’ play area and growing area – community garden. Community Forum Funding (money invested by local authority, meetings headed up by different councillors, citizens approach with proposals for funding, then councillors debate) – local MP and councillors backed funding for space. If we can enthuse those people to make a dead space which is used for lots of illegal activity into a positive space, people start to get on board. Rather than just fencing it off so people can throw empty chip wrappers over there we can turn it into a nice space for families like the families that live above, 1 parent 3 kids families. [The Prince’s Trust helped remove all fly-tipping.]

7. Is the project successful so far? How do you measure its success?

A: For us, it feels like it’s successful. In a town like Dudley where there are so many empty shops, first sign of success is that the lights are on, doors are still open. I know it’s a success because I know how hard it is to build a positive reputation. It’s not something like we’re a franchise and we’re making lots of money, so monetarily not a success, just about holding its own, but for that reputation and people buying into and backing the ethos, then I think it’s an overwhelming success. This is a fairly quiet day at the moment but yeah [we have people in here every day]. As a coffee shop we keep our head above water.

8.

How do you fund the project?

A: Personal investment to buy the property. Coffee shop income pays the bills. We work with the local police where we access the Active Citizen Fund. Ethos for that is turning bad money into good. Investing in supporting us so that can be anything from running costs through to equipment – money they raise through auction. [Not using any more of personal investment after buying and doing up and starting to get money back on personal investment].

9. Did any rules, policies, bodies or regulations hinder the process of setting up or running events on the high street?

A: For anybody starting a new business it’s very tricky to find a property and support from local authority. We had to brave that on our own in the same way that most small businesses do. We did apply for Rates Reduction as social enterprise we know we are allowed. We didn’t get much support and we were told no by the council, but then we appealed that and we spoke to people that buy into our mission, local MPs and they fought our corner and eventually we did get some money. Rates probably come out more than rent. Instantly makes it really hard to make it sustainable.

107

10.

Who is in control of what happens on the high street? Should someone be accountable?

A: No [intervention from council controlling us]. With Dudley, they like to fill the shops so it doesn’t really matter what people bring to the table. There is a regeneration project based around entrances to Dudley Town centre. They are looking at how to regenerate spaces that are rented for accommodation, working with landlords to improve that. I think there’s lots of residential properties above shops. The office blocks behind here have changed from office blocks into residential so I think there will be an influx of people hopefully.

11.

Would you like to see anything change about the current high street management system that allowed you to rent/alter/run this space? To make it easier for other social enterprises?

A: We’ve been having conversations with the Heritage Property Regeneration Team (third party to council). They were very interested in us almost being a broker for citizens, social entrepreneurs, creatives to do pop-up shops in their spaces, their unused council retail properties. They’re after us brokering some sort of negotiations because we were struggling to find spaces. There’s possible change in the wind almost. They were talking about how we could let people test within our space and if they did come up with a project idea perhaps they would then be able to help them access pots of funding and spac for them to grow their enterprises. If we could be that conduit to make that change with the local authority that would be a really big step. Three examples of business that have been incubated here: building planters as gifts, cosplay, abstract artist. The council just need to be more transparent [In terms of getting property].

12. What are your next steps as an organisation?

A: Grow! All of the above [this space and others on the high street]. We are in talks about taking over the park building. People have come in and recognised how successful we are with interacting with the commuity and building projects and groups and they would like that for a potential park location so there can be activities within the park and for us to maintain that space. It has to be sustainable for us so we’re still looking at that. That space would be open to citizns and new groups for example the aprk, potentially would just be a coffee shop just getting thigns going in the park There;s a lot of ruins there and history there – its another part of the town that’s got hisotry that we can bring interest to. [The little space at the back that the bank owns is the literal next step – next spring.]

13. What would be your ideal vision for the future high street and who would you involve in realising this?

A: Vibrant, thriving, its community is involved and lots going on. Architect TEDxtalk – he talks about the messiness of a vibrant town and the little intricacies of people working and living and socialising within spaces, he talked about how hundred years, the people would work, live and socialise within same building, that messiness needs to come back we need a hive of activity where there are lots of these places [i.e. gather]. We often talk it would good if we had another 5 social entrepreneurs doing the same thing as us. A lot of people would look at this with a modern view of “oh this is competition” but actually it doesn’t it creates a scene. We picked that up very quickly from Norther Quarter Manchester – there’s lots of independents and it’s a quite trendy, hip sort of place, not in a posh way just in a cool way. [Retail decline continue?] Think there needs to be room for lots of small independent shops. People have changed the way they shop. Shopping experience that M&S offer isn’t needed can do it online, you need an experience. High street should provide experience for people, all sorts of different opportunities. If they can provide that, they won’t die. It’s when they’re struggling to find out what they need to provide and they’re not changing the way people shop/experience. The community thing is really important.

109

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Jo Orchard-Webb and Lorna Prescott Company: CoLab

1. What is CoLab Dudley?

Date: 14/08/18 Role: Researchers

CoLab created 2014 as suggestion, started Dec 2016, action Jan 2017 – only exists through CVS Jo: researcher, geographer Lorna: 22 years in Dudley, neighbourhood based, carity and voluntary sector, engineering degree, CVS CoLab is a social lab – grown in last 10 years, experiments, made up of diverse team – social entrepreneurs of different backgrounds, researcher, geographer, retail marketing (Unlimited: foundation to fund social innovation, work on place-based change), neighbourhood-based work, community connecting work, social media, bbc journalist, voluntary, charity sector Resourced by Dudley CVS (Supports charities to exist and thrive and relate to public sector), Stu and Loraine’s time, Unlimited Anyone can bring ideas but around a certain set of values – share social values, openness, equality, parity, not imposing ideas or generating hierarchy or financial gain Wren’s Nest – housing estate experimented with Tessy Britton - community centre – failed experiment, didn’t thrive where citizens are making their own activity as there was no entrepreneurial thinking behind it, always dependent on grant funding due to charity lead. However, exciting findings from it.

Systems lens - Complex systems – things don’t exist in isolation, look behind problem to cause - systems mapping – what are the key things making Dudley what it is, dig behind and find causal loops with wide range of participants Alternative mindset: Yes policy matters, yes resourcing matters, but fundamentally what we are talking about is a group of people who are willing to view and be and do in the world differently and their perception of risk is very different Impatient optimism – didn’t wait for funding whereas organisations culturally wait for money to come in before doing anything No select groups due to funding – everyone is involved – the rest of the world the ideal is to be sitting on opposite sides of the same desk, here there is no desk There are loads of different projects that people have started that are like this, they just don’t all happen in one place, what we don’t know is if you have lots of them happening in one place is whether they will change that place Recognise the slow burn How does this spill out?

Coseley – tried to take the residents leading that programme ideas for community projects there but because the people leading it are really familiar with ways of doing things in community groups under the banners of small groups or charitable type stuff, they are really knowledgeable about challenging public sector in how it is delivering services locally, not so about how strategic stuff is happening but by god they will fight for their local services, and bless them they don’t readily flow with this kind of stuff – the norm is Brownies, Scouts etc separate groups – their remit isn’t to grow stuff in a geographical way it is to work with clients. There’s something about having a place like this [Gather] where people can walk in 6 days a week and there’s a culture here that’s maintained by Stu and Loraine – I don’t think you can create that where people are your client. Straightaway you are dealing with all sorts of power dynamics. The work that’s done is around eroding those barriers and power dynamics. You walk in here as a human being. You might walk into a community centre labelled in some way as you’ve been identified as a certain sort of target group. If you just start as a human being it quite easily to connect and collaborate.

[Issue is having ‘clients’ rather than being open to everybody].

The culture here of “everyone and yes of course you can” doesn’t translate into organisational settings where it can’t be “everyone” because of the way they are funded and it can’t be “yes you can” because they have all sorts of responsibilities because they are offering a service – Stu and Loraine aren’t a service in that sense.

Key ingredients Q: Is there a recipe for what makes this work that can be taken elsewhere, although it’s different for each place?

Detectorists: insights of local people Gather ingredients: Accessible to all, Centre for everyone (funding environment allows all), Authentic welcome, Open practice – meetings in the open for public to hear, on purpose, On the high street, open 9-4pm, permanence, Come through the door and you can either do nothing or something – no expectation, Convivial, Organic-ness

2. What do you think the role of the Architect is on the high street and in these kinds of projects?

Impact Hub – the way that the team there have drawn on the world of design and architecture – building a massive community for change – team with creative talent in it Open desk furniture – democratic – if even your furniture is designed and shared through a collaborative economy – it’s all crucially important I think one of Stu’s roles – I call him a ‘spaces architect’ because he has created and designed and implemented everything – he’s an unqualified designer, architect I think there’s an interesting balance between participatory techniques and shaping of role within architecture – social dimension (talk to Holly Doron) Aesthetic, curating of place – values and signals that holds Role of architects in sending signals about values, behaviours, flow within space, multiple uses, flexibility – role of design and architecture is in integral – and integral to invitation that is made – signals being sent out about who is welcome Invitation is for everybody to be an architect in this space Bring expertise [of architect] What happens when you recognise the tacit knowledge that everybody has and you bring the expert knowledge together with tacit knowledge, what happens? It can be incredibly beautiful, incredibly enabling, empowering and central to sense of ownership in sense of agency to effect change, super powerful, Stu has been that enabler, he has taken his vast array of practical design skills and said to other people who bring their own skills “yes, let’s do this, how do we do this”, constant dialogue between people here and his expertise Stu has used YouTube in same way as others use WikiHouse.

It is about democratising design.

That’s what the repair café links into. All of this furniture has been made here in the workshop. Home-made aesthetic comes back – “I love how this makes me feel like I’m at home”.

Resonates with values and makes them feel more comfortable.

Theaster Gates – TEDTalk – work on ethical redevelopment, set of ingredients, repurposing and what it says implicitly to people have been cast aside when you use things that have been cast aside and bring out their beauty and introduce new ways for them to be in the world. On a very instinctive level, you understand that in the same way those things have been brought back from the dead, you too can be brought back from the dead.

Q:How can this be the norm on every high street?

On some level we hope that one of the ways that will happen is that we keep talking out loud about what we’re doing.

We’re telling the world in a range of ways – quite formal ways through research given out in different ways – posting research, online and face-to-face.

Haven’t seen anyone else do something similar from sending that out yet.

No-one else is in the ridiculously luxurious position to have the space and team to do this.

Bottling of Detectorism has spread like wildfire. “Everybody is the researcher”.

Walk and Talk storytelling – architecture becomes the canvas – take professionals out of boardroom and into place with mini comedy shows and stories around the city – this changes the space. The city is space for a new narrative and new culture to be formed. They want a different narrative and they want a different way to be and they want a different culture in Coventry. Transforming routes – hostile and rushed becomes caring, supported, connected, emotional space - Architecture will play a real role in that going forward.

111

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Company:

Johnny Hayes Frankie and Johnny’s Cookshop

Date: 16/08/18 Role: Shopkeeper + Cllr.

1. Please could you describe your shop(s) and why and how you came to set up here?

A: Pextons bought 20 years, expanded to shop next door as it became available. Struggling with just one shop. Dip period in 2008 combination of recession, closure of Terry’s factory and loss of post office – many shops closed. Hard to know what turns a parade round, the fact that we started to create the association and we were putting on events – it turns people’s views around about a street. Pig and Pastry also turning point – attracting a new style, more hipster. Sold 6 years ago, downsized, did have both at one time, now Frankie and Johnny’s Cookshop - cookware and gifts, not too expensive. Had cookshop in Pextons previously but not enough space so owned second space, improved whole function. Rent cookshop from private landlord whose business in vintage stuff wasn’t doing particularly well. Council played absolutely no role whatsoever in any of our dealings. Deals between individuals.

2. What were the main actions you took/are taking to regenerate Bishy Road?

A: Organic step-by-step process. First stage was putting on events. First event we all thought was a great idea but we all learnt a lot from that – that was our eureka moment. Andy from cycle heaven set up the website, that got us together. Pretty well everybody on the street with one or two exceptions. We don’t bother with the chains because they can’t see any point.

Sainsbury’s contribute – they have a local budget - they’re a more of a local focused chain. We’ve got Betfred and Johnson’s the cleaner’s, Sainsbury’s. Betfred is not interested at all – should learn a few lessons from us – difficult to communicate with chains, speak to manager you’ll have to send a letter to head office etc. Costcutter not classified as a chain – franchise, very local guy runs it.

3. Who have you been working with to do so?

A: The Great British High Street Awards was a really crucial step for us because that competition gave us something to aim for.

We were the finalist in 2014, we didn’t win it, they then changed the competition a bit on the model that came out of Bishy Road.

I suggested that instead of just a group of judges that came round, you should include social media – online voting system. Run social media with association. Constitution with 6 officers who are also shopkeepers – but not just shopkeepers – 110 members a major proportion are other businesses like designers, DIY, gardeners, computer programmers and want to be part of Bishy Road scene. Illustrator does website.

4.

Have any architects been involved in the scheme or your individual shop? If so, at what stage were they involved? If not, why were they not involved? Future?...

A: For the street, yes. We have become aware that het street is very busy. We have looked at the way the street functions and the concept of using shared space. At the moment the cars are very dominant but the pedestrians are here in much greater numbers but do not have dominance that cars have. We are trying to create a different atmosphere down here with combination of public realm design, road surface, changing nature of various signs - much more pedestrian friendly process. Mainly public realm. The shopfronts a d Victorian format is a conservation area but not high ranking the limitations are minimal – can’t use illuminated sings – lowest rank of conservation. We’ve employed a consultant architect in last 3 years using the £10,000 won from competition, who has looked at how do we want to see the street laid out. A graduate has done a survey of the street: who’s coming here, how, why etc. 28% car, 65% foot, 5% bike, remainder public transport.

We can’t really be fully pedestrian [other than street closure parties] and I don’t mind a bit of animation. When we close the street for our parties people utterly love it, kids get chalk on the street. [Are you following up what that architect has done?]

Yes, it’s in the melting pot, this is where we hit the stumbling block and York City Council and Highways regs are so precise and it takes an absolute age to get anything through. Today there was supposed to be a highways meeting to discuss the traffic lights here but they've pushed it back another few months. Very frustrating.

5. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? Please describe what you think this is or could be?

A: Definitely, for me that combination of making places where you want to be is a reflection of the built environment and cultural environment – those two things combined are what people are looking for. 1900s was a row of houses with one or two shops, 1920s became more shops, changed one at a time. Reason for wide pavement is there used to be front gardens. People still live above and there are still some full houses on the street. Residents – extra customers creates atmosphere and communities. I do think architects are crucial. It’s not that special a street but it’s got that Victorian feel to it. Inner ring road actually did us favour as it meant the chains didn’t come in. A single shop is tiny and really a chain wouldn’t be interested as it is not their minimum standards. It’s helpful for setting up independents because each shop is quite small, makes it cheaper, difficult to take on because so small, no space.

6. What effect does this shop/space have on the high street/community?

A: You can feel it now, it’s just the fact that people are here and meeting friends – it’s a proper community street and that’s bound to have a positive effect on the neighbourhood. [Shop on own?] Yeah there’s nothing like a good business for making a place a nice place to live. Shopkeepers have this interesting effect, like good farmers they have an impact on the environment.

This is why I’ve got a lot of faith in independents as they have that sort of vitality. If they are good, they will have that sense of doing a good job.

7. Is the project successful so far? How do you measure its success?

A: Survey gave some indications. But we’ve only had one, and that can only tell us where we were two years ago. But the success is self-describing in that the reality is that people were asked what are you coming here to do? what will you spend?

– coming for a) coffee, b) buy something c) meet friends. Spend much higher than what it would’ve been 10 years ago.

People are coming with the intention of spending money, I think you would’ve found previously that people were just coming to buy one item rather than mixture of a sit down and a little wander. So, it becomes a place rather than just a shop so it’s that social function again. Association has no control over the new businesses/shops coming in. We can express an aspiration, but we have no more influence than that. Funnily enough I got it completely wrong. There was a point 7 years ago, we had already got two restaurants and I thought maybe there was a danger we might have too many, and I said at a council meeting that we had reached our limit, but in actual fact we’ve had another 3 or 4 since then and that’s been really beneficial so in a sense people shouldn’t be so arrogant to think they know what’s best. The market has a way of creating its own, you have to respect it, sort of unexpected side.

113

8.

How do you fund the project?

A: No external funding. £50 membership, shopkeepers can pay up to £100 depending on what they get. Get place on website, flyers and leaflets, social media, events, share in street parties. [Get a lot for money]

9.

Did any rules, policies, bodies or regulations hinder the process of setting up or running events on the high street?

A: Much more strict as time has gone on. There was time where there was no fee for street closure, they were trying to encourage businesses to do street closures so they cut the red tape. Subsequently, there’s been a change of regime in terms of City Council, since the coalition. It’s not down to party politics at all, but because of the fact that there was such a shortage of funds generally, it was felt that they had to start charging and those charges are quite high. To run a street party it will cost about £3-4000. Health and safety, insurance, we have to get professional stewards. Safety executives have upped the standards, pay for toilets. Things become much more administratively difficult. Having said that, there are some distinct pluses with that because there is a nervousness when you’re running an event like that, throughout the day we had about 20,000 people for the Tour de France and that was a big responsibility. There wasn’t a single incident, but the reality is, that had there been you would’ve wished that you’d been more heavily insured and prepared etc. What used to happen was we could close the street and the local highways dept would close everything for us but they’ve passed that on to outside companies so it was £1500 just for the stewarding of the closure, because the impact of closing the street means that 20% of traffic in city is being diverted. I had one emergency closure where we thought we would just do without, about 4 years ago, and I suddenly realised that thousands of people would come to this event so I phoned the highways officer and they agreed and closed the street free of charge but the impact was that the whole city came to a halt. Depends what shop you are [for setting up], food or alcohol it’s a bit more difficult but if you’re a plain old shop like us not that difficult.

10.

Who is in control of what happens on the high street? Should someone be accountable? Who else should play a role?

A: Tends to be [Private landlords]. City council is sometimes the landlord, like The Shambles, very run down in 40/50s was in danger of crumbling down so they bought it and they’ve been really in retaining it so that’s all to credit of city council. They owned a few [on this street], because when it was blighted with the road coming through, there’s only one left now but there was about 6, they’ve since been sold on. For that one the council tend to go commercial and go to highest bidder. [Should there be curation control?] Yes and No, because I got it wrong and I should’ve known what I was talking about. City council probably be pretty useless at running shops so they might get it wrong as well. There must be circumstances where it would be beneficial for them to have control. Sunderland, there are some areas badly blighted, there the city council could be a beneficial landlord. We’re quite fortunate here a lot of the landlords are local landlords, when they’re investment properties the landlords are so distant there’s no interest at all.

11.

Would you like to see anything change about the current high street management system that allowed you to rent/alter/run this space?

A: With Indie York, because of the fact that I can see this on a city wide scale, if you go into town, look out for Goodrum Gate, on that street there’s probably about 12 empty shops on a relatively small street and that street’s not been very well managed. I think the best way to manage a street is to create a trader;s’ association and for them to try to manage it to a degree. I think our publicity is better than the city council’s publicity. With Indie York, I’m trying to replicate what we’ve done here in Goodramgate. If you got to Foss Gate it’s now got a new cast-iron sign “Foss gate quarter” is really vibrant – self-help group. Not far at all. It’s the ebb and flow it’s quite complex. What makes a good street, what makes a bad street, is very odd and can change I think with time. I think York should be seen as a city of independents because of the nature of the streets they are primarily medieval, they’re small. That’s the primary asset, forget the big stores they’re closing, it’s time for the small shops to come back to life and the big shops are going to have to divide up into small shops. They can’t have a single tenant anymore and the amounts they are charging are ludicrous. Our little shop, we pay £15,000 rent and £8,000 rates. In city centre people are probably paying £100,000 rates, bigger place but none-the-less, how do even raise that money, how do they survive. There’s got to be a new system [for business rates] at the moment the system isn’t based on a reflection of your turnover or your profits. It’s got to be far more related to turnover. The old system which was based on value of the property doesn’t have any bearing anymore because that was when it was buoyant for many years, but if it starts to decline which it is then the value of that doesn’t decline as quickly as the impact on the retailer. It’s a complex set of relationships. I have no direct power [within council]. Bishy road is a fantastic example of what can be achieved but I’m in no direct dialogue with the council. I just get on with stuff. I created the Micklegate Business Initiative which went from 14 empty shops to just 3 empty shops in a year and that was a result of doing what we did on Bishy Road. Event - Mickelgate Run Soapbox Challenge down the street once a year.

12. What are the next steps for your shop and high street?

A: We are actually selling our shop. We’ve been here for 20 years so we’re going to sell and move on. Indie York is my thing now, Bishy Road can look after itself, I’m no longer chair. We’ve got a new chair and it’s all functioning perfectly well. Indie York is the next step, trying to repeat the same format. It’s clusters. Carrying on same old [events]. It’s not easy, that has to be said, people have to buy into the idea, it can’t produce itself. The reality is it’s in people’s interest, both from a community perspective and a business perspective, that’s the best model to grow your business anyway. Advertising, doing all the things that people do with their individual business won’t be as big an effect as doing it collectively.

13. What would be your ideal vision for the future high street and who would you involve in realising this?

A: There’s got to be cooperation between the chains and the independents. The independents should be seen as people that have clear insight into what’s going on the ground, the chains have to learn from the independents. This is coming out in any report you read. The power of the independent is becoming stronger by the day. We were slightly ahead of it. We’re a small street that’s turned itself around and we didn’t spend any public money in process. Win-win situation. Small clusters rather than city wide schemes are an important way forward. City wide is too big a geographical area. The complexity of a project if it’s exaggerated a thousand times there’s no way you can take it in. I do think it is a problem that should be looked at by a whole range of people. In York, we’ve got historical and cultural side It needs input from all different quarters: there is an artistic need there is an architectural need. If we want the high street to survive and I think it’s in all our interests that it does and prosper, I think it’s a multi-agency task. This is my rallying call!

Other [Talking about the community projects e.g. repair café where not really selling anything] It’s quite complex this voluntary relationship is a hard one to sustain so if you’ve got a commercial backbone it does help but that’s a tricky one. We’re fortunate we’re in a relatively affluent city, if you’re in a less affluent city it’s a more difficult task but the same principles apply. If you go into Pexton’s and ask to borrow a hammer, they’ll give you one, it works without being artificially created. In a sense, the reality is we’ve all got a little bit disengaged and separated so you do have to artificially create these things. I do think the Great British High street Awards are a very positive national event and do encourage people to think outside the box. Might get city to go for it eventually. I’m a chair of one the panels on this year’s awards.

[Talking about conference] People are desperate to have some direction and could’ve left that conference not knowing which direction to turn.

[Taking about Gather Dudley] Nothing succeeds like success so if you can succeed then people will want to come there and that will create the vitality. It’s the independents that’s the crucial part, they’re the only people with the ability to see outside the box. Were they using any of the Heritage Lottery Funding? There’s the ‘power for change’ it’s not in abeyance, it was a pilot, but that was all about trying to establish local enterprise based on community involvement and there was a lot of money put into it. So have a look at their conclusions. I applied for here and we got into the final round.

We are looking at creating an independent amazon – shop York – say xmas is coming and they want to get presents off to family as quick as possible, if they could go to a single point and buy from independents they would do that if they knew it was efficient. I think technology will catch up with Amazon and their inability to pay any taxes. We wanted to get funding from the BID but we didn’t get that funding so that’s gone into abeyance but I think that’s the way forward.

115

School of Architecture MArch Dissertation : Consent Form for Participants (16+ Years)

Please circle or highlight Yes or No

1. I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet explaining the above research project and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the project.

Yes

No

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without there being any negative consequences. In addition, should I not wish to answer any particular question or questions, I am free to decline.

Yes

No

3. I understand that my responses will be kept strictly confidential. I give permission for the student and their tutor to have access to my responses. I understand that my name will not be linked with the design research material unless I expressly give my consent.

Yes

No

4. I give my consent for my name / my organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name to be linked with the research materials (for example in direct quotes)

Yes

No

5. I agree to sound recordings, photographs and video being taken of me and my work for research analysis. I understand that these will be deleted/destroyed once the University assessment process is complete.

Yes

No

6. I agree to photographs and video of me and my work appearing in the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research study or later publications, presentations and the School of Architecture Digital Archive.

Yes

No

7. I agree to take part in the above research project.

Yes

No

_________Holly Doron__________ Name of participant

__11/09/18_________ Date

____HRDORON_________________ Signature

Anna White Student researcher

29/08/18 Date

__________AWhite______________ Signature

Student researcher contact details: awhite10@sheffield.ac.uk Copies: Once this has been signed by all parties the participant should receive a copy of the signed and dated participant consent form, the information sheet and any other written information provided to the participants. A copy of the signed and dated consent form should be placed in the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main record (e.g. a site file), which must be kept in a secure location.

117

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Holly Doron Company: APEC Architects

Date: 29/08/18 Role: Associate, Architect

1. What have you been researching?

A: I’m currently taking part in Enrol Yourself’s Learning Marathon. I’m working with 11 other people from completely different backgrounds and disciplines, to support and learn from each other over 6 months while we each explore our own questions. My question started out as ‘How might early and meaningful community participation and empowerment become the norm for built and unbuilt development and be the sustainable?’. The reason for this is that the practice I work with, APEC, are a very community-focused practice; 75% of our clients are not-for-profits, and because of that, they have access to funding to involve communities in their projects at an early stage. Rather than involving communities at concept development or just for a planning application, we speak to them right at the beginning of the project, before we write the brief. I wanted to explore how this could be made possible for other projects, and if it’s possible to do so without relying on funding.

I’m now almost two months into the project, and I have since come across the participatory culture illustrated guide (which is amazing!) This has shifted my focus. We find that a lot of our projects ‘die’ after the feasibility study, because either the client doesn’t get the funding to carry on, or there’s not the skills within their organisation to take the project forward. This can lead to the community being disheartened, even though we’re very cautious to not raise unnecessary hope during our engagement sessions. I’m now exploring how the process of each RIBA work stage could contribute to participatory cultures and encourage communities to build their own networks to increase the chance of them starting their own groups and activities, as well as increasing the chance of built projects going forward. I think I need to first figure out how we improve our own approach, and then think how this can be applied to ‘for profit’ projects. As part of this, I’m delving into systems thinking and mapping. I’m also speaking to Lendlease to see how they approach community engagement from a huge, commercial developer perspective.

2. Could you explain the process of your work and appointment with your not-for-profit clients? What kind of clients and projects, how are you appointed?

A: Formed in 1969 as an ecclesiastical practice and that’s naturally evolved into community and third-sector work so a lot of our work comes from recommendation or word of mouth, it’s very rare we go through a competitive process because we’re small, we find that bids tend not fruitful for us as we’re small we can turn out to be more expensive, people that come to us directly because of our reputation and work we’ve done with similar projects – 75% of work/income is with not-for-profit– churches and other charities – those projects are mainly for a good social purpose as well as community use projects – some of the projects involved designing refuges for vulnerable people including women escaping domestic violence, people escaping modern day slavery and also small intervention renovating old buildings but process of constructing it we work with social enterprises and contractors who employ ex-convicts or people with no qualifications who learn on the job and potentially get a full-time job after actually constructing these places so that’s our social ethos and community involvement extends that way.

3. Have you been involved in any high street projects? If not what kind of projects?

A: I don’t think we have [had any projects actually on the high street] The main bulk of our projects at the moment are through Awards for All funding – Big Lottery – charities 7-10,000 employ professionals to review land and buildings and look at feasibility to improve current functions or expand their vision that can benefit the community. Prior to this wonderful fund we used to have to do a lot of pro bono work for our clients so they have a design that they can then go to funders and say look this is the design we’ve got for a building can you then fund this and then we’re working for them pro-bono on the basis of you can give us more when you’ve got funding but this is very unsustainable way of working. In terms of changing role of community architect, we’re very much impacted by what’s available around.

Since this funding came through we can now go to our client right at beginning of project and they can give us a brief for what they want to do, this can be very specific or not entirely sure...no matter what kind of brief they come to us with, because of this funding we’re able to say “right let’s take a step back and completely review, let’s find out what your vision is”, also what are the needs of the local community as part of the funding they do have to engage the local community, it is a requirement. That can vary in degrees depending on what the client wants to achieve. We will typically do a lot of research, try and get in contact with local groups that do something similar or could overlap and we hold various different events inviting people to have their say about what they like about their area, what there could be more of, that will inform a written brief that we can develop a design from. Rather than this is the planning stage let’s try and get the community on board with our design, let’s do some consultation, it’s very much earlier on and it’s made a huge difference in the projects we’ve worked on so far.

What kind of projects along participatory guide?

New term for me. We are kind of reliant at the moment on this Awards for All funding and most of projects are through this and there is that nagging feeling that when they stop this funding, what’s going to fill that hole. 10 years ago when the coalition gov came in, a lot of our projects were halted and their funding was pulled as existing funding bodies get replaced by something else and in that transition period there’s no funding available. So in anticipation of that, why is it that we are reliant on this kind of funding to involve communities in the design process this early on? how can we make that more the norm for everybody? and is there a way this can be sustainably done so that lots of architect’s practices can get involved with these projects? Or it’s more that communities are considered part of most developments?

That’s the reason for me starting this research. Through that process it occurred to me that it’s not just the start of the project it should be the whole way through that communities are engaged and that projects are developed in a way that give something back or nurture or encourage this participatory approach. So I’m now looking at how this can be done at each of the RIBA stages.

4. Can you explain how you charge for your services?

A: The clients that we work with, don’t have the money without these funds or grants from elsewhere unless they get private donations which a couple of our buildings have been built on. Because we know there’s a limit to what funding and grants these clients go for, we doctor our services to suit...We can work backwards and think what can we do for that fee. Because it’s less than £7-10,000, you don’t have to go to competitive quotes. There are some funding applications that we’ve received that have another architect’s name on but they’ve just come to us.

Does this mean a lot of your work is local?

Yes, we do a lot of work with Birmingham Church of England Diocese so we’ve had word of mouth between churches before and now we have a direct contact. Our previous partner, conservation architect, he was the cathedral architect for Sheffield Cathedral – that’s why we had projects in Sheffield, but we try keep it local, we pride ourselves on our strong knowledge of the areas within Birmingham. We’re all residents.

Is being resident/immersing self in same area as project a new role for the architect?

The only way we’ve been able to judge that is if we have gone for a bid. Typically for a conservation project. There are a few competitive bids we’ve gone for and we’ve not been successful in them and we’ve found out that the people that have been are not from Birmingham. We are expensive, if there are bigger practices that have projects to show, they might be looking for expertise and then the price. Some projects not so much priority on community side of things. We’ve recently gone for a church project we didn’t get and it came down to the person.

119

5.

Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? Please describe.

A: Something they [Farrell review] did raise in terms of our role as an architect is the inherent short term-ism of our involvement. We are a service that is purchased to do this project and it might not even be the whole way through. What can be done with the system to encourage that long term involvement? The gas street project that’s being done in phases we have a good relationship with client and user groups, although we’ve done stages 2.5 technically over appointment’s over but yesterday I got an email from client asking how do I put hot water in this kitchen that we’ve added etc. I’m able to give advice on that basis although I’m not paid it’s nice to keep that going. Through these little discussions, and I visit them as well, you get insights into how they are evolving with their building.

Since reading participatory culture, I was writing up a community consultation strategy, I’m no longer going to use word ‘consultation’ anymore. Usually we would ask people to come in and have their say on what memories they have of the area and what’s important to them but we also in the past have focused on the past on what’s wrong with your area and what kind of spaces do you need, when reading this it’s changed my approach. This client group has already been through feasibility studies before, there’s that fatigue of too many meetings, too many consultations, there needs to be something in our commuity engagement strategy that empowers the commuity to progress it on their end. The one I’m planning at the moment is going to focus on yes mapping things within their area like existing spaces or activities, but also asking them what are your skills, what can you offer, what are you looking for, what skills, knowledge, introductions, spaces you want to share – and using it as a network mapping exercise, but also to demonstrate look at all these things that are happening in all these other communities so you’re not reliant on the professionals the experts to come in and not wait for them to do something you can start doing things yourselves.

What would be the role when case studies I’ve visited haven’t needed to use one?

It’s recognising the value of architect beyond we know how to design and build stuff or tell people how to build stuff. When I’m talking about our practice to people I will often say we’re matchmakers, we could know someone who has a site that we looked at with them 4 years ago and they couldn’t really find anyone suitable to take it one with them, but you’re saying you need a space and we think you’d be brilliant together so go talk to these people. One of our feasibility studies which we started this time last year has been on hold since Christmas, because we said we want to pause this study because your brief and what comes out of this is going to be completely informed with you partnering up with this charity. Goes back to short/long-termism: Rather than seeing project by project basis, might think that project didn’t go anywhere, but actually remembering them and their vision and what thye wanted to achieve, you can strategically think later on oh you need to speak to these guys. Sometimes we can talk ourselves out of jobs, you don’t need a building you just need a new timetable.

9. What have you gathered so far about ‘how the process of each RIBA work stage could contribute to participatory cultures and encourage communities to build their own networks’?

A: I’ve got ideas but it’s 2 months in. We’re now going to go into the design phase where go into ore detail. As part of this process, I’m trying to get my head around systems thinking, which I think architects do naturally because of the way we’re educated. I’ve got to look at the time in terms of projects but then the wider thinking as well. Is there something in our RIBA Code of Conduct that needs to be examined? I’ve been going through the Farrell Review. IN 2013, Sir Terry Farrell led a review of architecture and its role in the UK – it looks at how it’s educated in schools, how its engages with communities, how the public perceives architects/ure. I don’t think much came out of that in relation to community engagement, except they did mention architects should be awarded CPD points if they do more for the community which they have implemented in the new CPD requirements for chartered architects.

They’ve introduced a community criteria but it’s really vague and I feel like something could be done more in the code of conduct but also in the validation criteria for education of potential architects because again there is looking at how the built environment has an impact on its surrounding communities and individuals so looking at whether there’s changes in there and also from a government level in terms of planning and what can be done and what’s actually feasible because not every project is going to have an impact in community, like a storage shed on someone’s private land, so what could this actually be applied to. Not everyone’s interested in this, is everyone going to want to work on projects like these or encourage their clients to consider how their project impacts. Goes back to systems thinking and capitalist society and making money and we want to get paid for this. Farrell review – more how the public perceive architecture how they are educated on design so they understand what we’re doing rather than architects using their excellent design and thinking skills to be doing as much as they can – seems a bit backwards – should we be doing more or less awards – different priorities – seems that we are very much focused on the magazine images – do you see buildings being used by user groups sticking things all over the wall, you don’t see those things, it’s just this clean beautiful space that’s been created. That makes me think we need to change images on our website. That comes into the stage 7 – who pays you to do stage 7 post analysis, which I think should come naturally into the architect’s role anyway. We constantly learn from our projects but it’s about what can be done to place more value on that not just in terms of technical performance and environmental efficiency but also the social and personal value, more qualitative. Talking to people, priority of data over narrative, is something that’s come up. It’s difficult to get further funding because it’s very figure based but we don’t have those it’s more there’s signals of potential. There’s things to change and that’s the narrative that should indicate we are worth being invested in.

7. How do you think architects need to adapt their current role to achieve this in the future? What should they be doing differently?

A: It’s wider scale, RIBA not just them but what can they do to support practices and encourage practices to take a more holistic approach. At the moment, the way we are private companies we are reliant on clients coming to us and saying we have the funding to employ you. How do we make facilitation of participatory cultures the norm? Is it a case that we need to become social enterprises ourselves in order to access funding and operate on a non-for-profit basis, is that just going against the norm?

Not everybody is going to be able to become that. Business approach –business developments go out and find clients but is it a case that we can do that by becoming active citizens ourselves within our very domestic local areas.

How do we as architects survive on all this facilitation and enabling?

One of our directors has started her own social enterprise. She’s involved with active streets where she has arranged closure of her street – has made such a difference on street, not just children, adults sharing cake etc. Through a couple of these events she has managed to apply for funding to start getting paid for this, on the side of course! Even as a social enterprise you need to have an independent business plan, you shouldn’t be reliant on funding coming through, you need to show you can create a service or project that can generate an income. Do we need to set up social enterprises in order to make a difference on the high street?

Scope for architects within council?

Birmingham’s in-house design team – falling through, running on a loss for so many years – do they need in-house design departments can they not use more local architects? Bimringham have done a draft of a design guide for Birmingham, started to appoint people for design in Birmingham. Frameworks – councils will typically have a number of practices that they contract out to or employ for a particular service, you have to apply to be on this framework, the bidding process incredibly long, not wellsuited to small practices/businesses. We previously tried to get one of these, we were successful but didn’t really get anything from it. There’s very bureaucratic processes involved that perhaps hinder.

[Reduces diversity of projects that appear in that area?] Process is to ultimately reduce paperwork. Whole bidding process is unfair – the amount of work we have to put into bids – the church job that we didn’t get, one of reasons we didn’t get it is that during the tender process they asked us to do some initial design ideas – we said we won’t, we will analyse our initial perceptions and impressions of site and what could be achieved, not in any way going to do any flashy images, because our whole approach is that the design should come out from an holistic approach and talking to people and understanding their vision and we’ve got incredible skills that we shouldn’t be giving away for free. We’re against any kind of competition work, because we shouldn’t be designing for free and it’s unsustainable. That’s why you have practices with Part 1s working overtime and unpaid, it’s not an ethical way of approaching things. Comes into the growing role of the project manager – quantity surveyors consultants taking on a more project managerial role – you can tell when you are approached by a client and they’ve already got a project manager on board, reams of documents– it’s the wrong approach for this type of client. Maybe this is where the Farrell review was right, changing the way public and professional views architects in terms of what our role is and what we can contribute.

What should we be doing to create this new community core?

There’s a tendency for us to think what’s the outcome of this, what’s the solution. It’s actually the process and the constant questioning, the duty to not be getting into a rhythm, to keep questioning how and assessing how you’re approaching projects because it can be a template but really we approach each thing individually. Maybe we need more research in practice, why can’t we be researching while doing? Emphasis on process and realising value of process of creating anything or being on the way to creating community cores, constantly learning, what else are people doing to contribute and share their knowledge? Architects have done an incredible amount of research in the areas they work, is there a way we can share that, become less competitive and disseminate this knowledge to so we’re not constantly reinventing the wheel or treading on what other people have done is there a way of building on that? So I guess building a dialogue with everybody, becoming active citizens ourselves and also active experts constantly trying to learn more.

10. What else have you started to find out during your research, e.g. From Landlease?

A: I’ve got in touch with Lendlease, a huge developer. They see themselves as a more community engaged developer. Does it need to be money vs. social value. Indy Johar TED talk Justifying to developers, you should be thinking like this because if you do you actually get more money anyway.

11. What is your vision for the future high street and who would you involve in realising it?

A: Who owns these units, can councils be doing more to invite third sector organisations to take part and partnerships between different charities who then can employ the professionals. It is very much needed. Where I live, Oldbury, I’ve been struggling to find a community core, there’s a big Sainsbury’s and a pharmacy and it’s killed off anything else that could happen. There’s no independent things that encourage participation. Whereas there’s places in Stirchley in Birmingham, they’ve got a very thriving high street, as they’ve managed to maintain their independent businesses, but there’s a danger of gentrification there as well. But there’s a lot more activity and it’s livelier.

121

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Zoe Christodoulou + AJ Haastrup Company: Every One Every Day, Participatory City

1.

Date: 23/08/2018 Role: Project Designers

Please could you describe your shop(s)/spaces, why you set up and how you acquired this space on the high street?

A: We have worked very closely with the council in acquiring spaces the council has really helped us, really supported how we operate.

We lease it from the council. At the moment we’re in process of opening up Shop no.3 at beginning of November, idea is were going to have 5. Chadwell Heath or Beacon trail Valance. Investigating different sites now that have become available, has to be on or close to high street and in budget, no more than 15 min walk from where live, close high street as possible. This borough – stats are not the greatest. So many strategic decisions about why B+D. Partly because of significant social problems, also a lot to do with location in London East will get more investment in future, close to M25, lots of trade travels through, council already laying good platforms for this kind of work to happen without their support we wouldn’t be able to get half the things done. A lot of things happened in borough politically, highlighted tensions in community. All of our outputs are to create resilient communities and improve community cohesion – in essence this is a real test to the model and what we can achieve. The model will have the greatest impact and outcome here.

‘Resilient’ – fragmented communities across B+D, essentially we try to open access for activiites things people can do together with people they may never have met, developing those relationships amongst people and neighbours to create what I believe is a stronger community and the feel for loving where you live and taking more provide knowing we all walk the same streets and supporting one another. I get a real feel for that having worked here. Building resilient communities requires us to build this ecosystem and introduce people to one another and do things together. It’s resilience in every sense, economic resilience, social resilience, ability for things to become self- sustainable again. For people to understand the demographics and economics of everything that’s going on and the simple things they can do to make a difference across all those.

2. What were the main actions you took/are taking to regenerate the local high street?

A: Building the networks first, no man is an island. Our projects always have a strong influence of you start this project but have you got

friends, family, how can you work together on anything so it has more chance of success. Through that network thinking is the biggest tactic of resilience. We treat everyone as individuals on their own journey. We’ve two methods that we’ve been taught to apply a lot of our programme development on–that’s the theory of change e.g. a resident could come to you and say ’I want to open up community café in the park’ it’s taking that back down to, what are the first steps we need to do, what assumptions can we make about those initial steps that will cause it be a success. We draw out all the different pathways depending on the conditions that go through the stages and then it can turn into something completely different. How we build that is conditional to time and place. The reason we have these heavy development camps where we stop and we all come together for about two weeks to heavily analyse how these programs have come to develop and come into something completely new, we apply this developmental evaluation technique where we don’t predetermine our project outcomes we develop on an on-going basis to see how they evolve. Something we will be publishing in our next report shortly.

2a. Opening the shop is how people come to you, have you done anything in going out into the community rather than waiting for people to come to you?

Yes, main strategic thing is to be as visible as possible, so where we have things, summer is a good time to be at different festivals we try to do as much as we can outside. 80% have come to us through the newspaper or referral or come through the door. There’s still a lot more scope for us to venture out but mainly people have come in through the door and said this is great, I’ll bring my friends, I’ve heard of you but the newspaper would be the biggest thing we do, there’s 55,000 newspapers that go out, seems a lot but its’s a drop in the ocean and it’s only in certain proximity of the Barking shop an Dagenham shop. As we increase we’ll have a much bigger outreach. We’ve grown organically from the beginning we follow projects through like that. And outreach we’ve only been pushing in the summer so we’ve been to all the festivals locally. We‘ve started more outreach on Facebook and increasing our social media presence. Walk-ins as well, we had this one resident who came in and was also part of another community group in Valance (an area we’re looking to move towards)but we still factored her into the programme, she wanted to set up a community garden – we did outreach in that sense that we brought the project and what we do over to a place that was identified by residents. We do stuff with the bee school at Dagenham Farms – there are certain projects that due to the capacity of the shop we can’t cater for - we had to use different locations, and a thing we’re doing for the autumn is establishing more hubs in the area that we could do more outreach in and reach more people.

3. Who have you been working with to do so?

A: There’s loads. The library here on the corner a community café not far, community spaces, Castlepoint a community centre, in Barking we do things with the Library with Digilabs – a tech start-up workshop place for young place. We do try to collaborate as much as possible to bring in local expertise in certain areas that us as project designers would probably not be able to facilitate as well. Also our programme is designed for people that live and work in the area to host sessions and get involved, it’s building those partnerships as I feel like there could be more partnering work between organisations in the borough as I find sometimes they work in silo. Buidling those partnerships asdds more resource to projects for people to get the best benefit.

Any business involved?

Ezo café, barbershop on corner, coffee shop – not just charities. Every One Every day is the motto!

4. Have any architects been involved in the scheme or the individual shops?

A: Just the warehouse really. In design, they’ve decided on who the architectural firm is going to be – they put a competition out, gave them a concept brief, accepted the designs – four different London-based practices – it was decided on a panel to select which architectural firm is best suited to the design – now it’s a co-design process. Everything we do we try our best to have it codesigned so everyone can have their say in how they want it to be shaped. Essentially it’s based on what people have told us who we interact with, what they would need, the equipment, what they’re interested in and how they’re going to scale their ideas and their business plans. It’s feeding that back to the architectural team and finding a way for them to design the final layout – something that’s a flexible space and also fitting it into the circular economy model – we’re exploring ways of how we can use unused materials in a way of trying to provide the insulation for the warehouse or we’re trying to find other parts where we can make it part of the project. It will be really interesting if they can find a solution for using unused fabrics in the area - the area is known for having one of the largest levels of waste disposal. So if there is something we can do about sorting that out in the building of the warehouse, people will think oh wow!

Mayor of London Fund – paid for architects and warehouse scheme Architects not involved in setting up the shops – makes me wonder should they have been?

5.

Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? What should/could they be doing?

A: They should be interested. I feel like architects should be finding us, not so much of us, we shouldn’t find them. There should be a middle ground where we meet each other.

(Me: we should be putting ourselves out there to help people that don’t necessarily know that they might need the services we might offer) There’s definitely something in there – particularly because our space is so multi-functional - to have someone with an architectural or product design way of thinking to help us utilise this space to its maximum capacity would be hugely beneficial. But also, the style in which we work, we work at a very fast pace, with designs changing constantly due to resident demands and needs and how we can fit everything in in so many cycles. We have had some people approach us from other academic institutions looking at things like lighting on the street and how that can have an effect on communities – anyone focusing on how communities can better work, I think we would be open to working together on that to improve it, because we have a shared goal.

6. What effect does this shop/space have on the high street/community? (parade)

A: Businesses are stuck because parades have their own identity and how they work. The community life around the parade has changed, there’s more coming together at the back. They’re borrowing each other’s equipment, people that live above the shops are coming more downstairs and spending more time outside. Businesses that’s part of what we’re figuring out, how we add value to them, they’re sceptic they’ve got deadlines to meet, they’ve got tight budgets how can putting a chair in my shop add value to what I’m doing, it’s convincing them round to that way of thinking it’s not scarcity thinking it’s collaborative.

6a. The rest of the shops along here are they occupied or empty?

All of the shops on this road are filled – tailor, laundrette, newsagent, chip shop. More lively now we’ve made a presence often we have a lot of things set up outside the front. Table tennis, tables, grass – often it’s an extension of our living room downstairs for the summer. In the winter we’ll have to look at how we can open the space up further - we can only operate to capacity really. We had something called open table where we lined up tables and chairs from park centre which is a community centre just around the corner and that really lifted up the whole parade. And many people just pop in to say hello as a friendly face so I feel we are having an impact on the people that are walking down the road.

6b. Do you think any of the projects might end up with their own little place on the high street?

There’s been some examples in Valance, where someone had led on sunflower street and took it to her local community centre and got other groups involved in planting sunflowers and then distributed them to her local high street – she gave them to about 20 shops along the high street so there were sunflowers in most of the windows - example of how it’s lifted the high street and got more people involved.

123

7. Is the project successful so far? How do you measure its success?

A: Quantitative and qualitative and some anecdotal stuff in there – we have a series of reports and particular case studies of residents we have engaged with that have shown remarkable personal and professional progress in their lives having interacted with the shop and how we have supported them in that. We track the amount of projects we’ve done, people we’ve engaged, how many new and returning residents we’ve engaged with, as a metric we measure on a daily basis. Each day we have a massive diary. Smaller volumetric measures like how many sunflowers did we plant etc. Because there’s so much going on it makes the role of the researcher particularly difficult because it’s difficult to capture that, we try to do our best by videoing a certain event, Without experiencing life in the shop for a week it’s so much more life than what you read in a report.

8.

How do you fund the project?

A: 15% by local authority. Big Lottery is biggest chunk. Small part funded by Discovery Days. Council (gave biggest amount up front), Lottery, Esmee Fairbairn, City Bridge Trust, City of London, Be First, L&Q and Mayor of London. Over a five year period.

9.

Did any rules, policies, bodies or regulations hinder the process of setting up or running events on the high street?

A: Small delay in opening up the next two shops due to shops not being available, also capacity – we maxed out our capacity on trying to make sure we have the most filled summer programme without leaving any time to work on other areas. We’re still such a small team, it’s down to capacity. Nothing external that would stop us opening shops. The council is very much on our side. Recently I was working on a community garden project the councillor of that ward was even happy to come with me to visit some shops on the high street that had become available. We do have a strong support from the council, even recently they’re changing one of their internal groups to a participatory style, so we are making an impact and they are showing their support.

10.

Who is in control of what happens on the high street? Should someone be accountable? Who else should play a role?

A: The council aren’t in control of what happens on the rest of the parade. The project would be very difficult without the council’s support – even for our urban greening projects we have to put the case forward as to: the residents have suggested they want to use this green space which is owned by the council, is it ok if we do some developments on there, whether it’s growing, gardening adding a bench and so forth.

It’s public space. There are regulations around opening shops but in terms of pop-up stuff we have someone who we ask at the council who is our main point of contact for that. We ask permission etc. The liability largely relies on residents and us.

11.

Would you like to see anything change about the current high street management system that allowed you to rent/alter/run this space?

A: N/A

12. What are the next steps for your shop and high street?

A: Put together an amazing autumn programme, to ensure that we develop the project and we genuinely work with the residents to ask them what they’re going to best benefit from this, what do they want, how they want to progress. We’re going to have a pop-up warehouse in the autumn programme for opportunity for people to make products to scale so they can sell it in shops at the end of the programme. We’re going to close for two weeks, let it be run by residents as a pop-up shop for them to sell stuff, it’s going to be turned into a community café style thing slowly giving people those opportunities, as we develop as well we’re developing with them. Over the course of the next few years, who knows. For us our main focus is to ensure that we work as well with people that come through the door, to make sure the projects benefit them and everyone else. Opening up the new shops is going to reach more people, more strategic thing we’re doing. We’re doing more conference and talks to share the model. We’re all still learning about how this is happening. We do it so subconsciously and to really codify what’s going on in that process so we can pass on those teachings. We’re in discussion with Scotland to explain the model more. Ideally after the five years it’s about how can we teach other areas to do something similar.

12a. Will there be a recipe that you will be able to give to other places to do the same thing?

Preconditions for it yeah absolutely. Also for our job, how do you run the shop, how do you become a project designer, what is required from people like us to ensure that people have a great experience but also are able to quickly turn their ideas into projects, have their name in the paper and be able to develop their skills alongside teaching other people. What do you do as a co-host to someone who’s not as confident in being a host. There’s a whole plethora of things that we do without really realising.

13. What would be your ideal vision for the future high street and who would you involve in realising this?

A: As a resident that has now worked here, the ultimate vision is that no one place functions as one thing. That idea of that you come to a shop not just to buy things but to learn a skill. Or that that place is one thing at night but something else during the day – it’s that multi-faceted element of what a high street has to be to be functional now. That’s the vision - a place that is conducive to learning at every level.

People may see us as this one-stop shop but it’s about creating those relationships and those networks to become more interconnected with your surroundings because that’s the building blocks for community. It’s strength in numbers and where there has been examples of break down in community, it’s not all on us, it’s a group effort for us to all work towards the same thing, and realise that let’s start loving what we do, let’s take pride in our community, let’s work together on this, let’s make the neighbourhood that we want to see, and that idea is something we can all add to. It’s about what everyone wants and bringing that vision together.

13a. Away from retail?

Retail is the biggest reason for all the mass consumption and unsustainability that the world is suffering from. We’re in a deficit of sustainable use or even just having a place where you can go and socialise anymore. All those traditions of community where people would come to your door, everything’s online now. That level of human interaction and engagement is decreasing so the future has to put people at the heart of that again. It will tackle all of those issues of immobility, inactivity, isolation, loneliness.

13b. Do you have any projects where people are in it to make money for themselves?

Making money is not what we’re doing, it’s more about building the skills. Cooperatives – working collaboratively to create an organisation where you all have shared goal. Rock, paper, scissors, handmade collective of sewers, makers and menders, together they want to have their own stall. The Pantry individually people have a particular food item that they were working with, package those, nutritional values right and have market stall which is not any one person taking that risk. Whole idea of business development programme is to de-risk people being individual entrepreneurs so if you take part in this and then you develop the skills and confidence required to then go as a solo entrepreneur and do your own thing then fantastic but the idea is we try to make it as accessible and de-risk it.

Other *TAKE PHOTOS OF SPACE AND INTERVIEW* *SIGN FORM* 125

!

School of Architecture MArch Dissertation : Consent Form for Participants Please circle or

highlight Yes or No

(16+ Years)

1. I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet explaining the above research project and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the project.

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without there being any negative consequences. In addition, should I not wish to answer any particular question or questions, I am free to decline.

3. I understand that my responses will be kept strictly confidential. I give permission for the student and their tutor to have access to my responses. I understand that my name will not be linked with the design research material unless I expressly give my consent.

4. I give my consent for my name / my organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name to be linked with the research materials (for example in direct quotes) 5. I agree to sound recordings, photographs and video being taken of me and my work for research analysis. I understand that these will be deleted/destroyed once the University assessment process is complete.

6. I agree to photographs and video of me and my work appearing in the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research study or later publications, presentations and the School of Architecture Digital Archive.

7. I agree to take part in the above research project.

____________________________ ________11/09/19__________ ___________Zoe Christo__________________ Zoe Christo Name of participant Date Anna White _____________________________ Student researcher

23/08/18 Date

Signature

!

School of Architecture MArch Dissertation : Consent Form for Participants Please circle or

highlight Yes or No

(16+ Years)

1. I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet explaining the above research project and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the project.

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without there being any negative consequences. In addition, should I not wish to answer any particular question or questions, I am free to decline.

3. I understand that my responses will be kept strictly confidential. I give permission for the student and their tutor to have access to my responses. I understand that my name will not be linked with the design research material unless I expressly give my consent.

4. I give my consent for my name / my organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name to be linked with the research materials (for example in direct quotes) 5. I agree to sound recordings, photographs and video being taken of me and my work for research analysis. I understand that these will be deleted/destroyed once the University assessment process is complete.

6. I agree to photographs and video of me and my work appearing in the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research study or later publications, presentations and the School of Architecture Digital Archive.

7. I agree to take part in the above research project.

____________________________ ________14/09/19__________ ___________Aj Haastrup__________________ Aj Name of participant Date Anna White _____________________________ Student researcher

23/08/18 Date

Signature 127

FUTURE HIGH STREET QUESTIONNAIRE Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Ruchit Purohit Company: Participatory City

Date: 23/08/18 Role: Researcher, Architect

1. What have you been researching specifically?

A: “The Participatory City Foundation is working on the Every One Every Day project in the borough of Barking and Dagenham. The project's goal is to facilitate resident participation that enhances their everyday lives. The Every One Every Day model is built on findings from previous projects, that are documented in a couple of documents, and specifically the Designed to Scale, as well as the Illustrated Guide to Participatory City. These documents provide a more in-depth information on what we do and how we work.”

Research team but we call it a ‘school team’ where one is doing research and learning and the other thing is teaching.

We have the cities programme, courses from what we have learnt. We don’t call ourselves the only researchers, we count every one of us. Everyone is art of the research team so we call ourselves evaluators. We have two research methodologies: Theory of Change, Developmental Evalutaion. Constante valuation process. We train all the staff in doing research, we have daily diaries for each shop of what happens, whoever has come, what projects they want to do, how they can link. We run these sessions and each session has a session documentation form. That is very theorietcial but every week we also have a meeting to discuss what happened and what could be done better so we learn as we grow and we change as we see what can be. More as action research. We’ve had previous projects as different scales, EOED itself is the largest scale. We are looking at replicability. If we have a few more cites who want EOED as London B+D council have done, they can learn from us. We want the participatory city replicated – we want a thousand participatory cities. We get a lot of academics, researchers, council people interested. We don’t have the data yet.

2. Have any architects been involved in the scheme or the individual shops?

A: There are two things we are developing 1. Participatory support system – we help people make projects 2. Ecosystem – everything, projects and support system, build the ecosystem including us and the resident sand that’s how more people will participate. Making this requires a lot of effort, it’s all about having ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ infrastructure.

Hard infrastructure – architectural elements, where do we base our shops, how do we design those shops, what kind of things are required in that community, and by first interactions you get to know. So we bought the shop in Barking which had big open plan, was earlier community advisory body, they left it and moved to a newer building so we got this from the council. Now it has one big front office which is multi-use, it’s a big long L shape, the back one has a kitchen and a small garden – we made this a big communi-kitchen. Small office space or used for film screenings or singing workshops. We have small cubicle type of rooms converted into workshop spaces: something for arts and crafts for hard infrastructure things like tools and the third one we will use for meeting room. Nothing was decided from the start, everything has been very participatory. Project designers working with the residents to understand what they want and then designing the spaces. Mainly architects have not been involved. Mostly we asked the residents would you like to help us paint this? Person came in with tools. Sometimes we do have to hire for other things, handywork and things. We plan to have a warehouse this is where we had an architectural competition – competitors and one awarded prize. We invited competition entries and put up on wall and residents helped choose.

3. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration?

A: I think architects should be involved, but how is still debatable. My learnings from architectural industry is we are moving towards that but it’s not here yet. It’s mainly about education. I don’t know how many of you are doing these kinds of projects but there should be more. That’s understanding of participatory designing. I worked in community-led design and worked on whow stakeholders can come together and design structures form commuity users. Its about where architects we stop being architects and let other people design. For me as part of my planning study, we had this thing are you hand-holding, are you enabling, are you empowering? For me it’s very difficult to answer. We don’t see them as experts. We need them for their design skills and building those things at that level but how much are they really engrained? It’s not as if the architects are sitting in one corner and designing.

(Me: I wonder if architects might offer same as you do, offering help to community as EOED offer help for projects) I would say for architects in that sense that would be in community-led housing projects. We don’t do participatory budgeting at that level. We are at very simple, small projects level.

(Me: I see myself working for the community rather than the client give you the job and design in that traditional way) We are moving in that direction but it’s a bit slower – google Sheriy Arnstein, Ladder of Participation. She was one of the first ones who wrote on the levels of participation. At the moment in the UK we are at the level of consultation. The top one is where people fully engage and its more grass roots.

4. Ideally, who else would be involved/would be needed for collaboration?

A: Our biggest collaborator is the council. If the council wasn’t there we would have a lot of barriers. The shops and our office here are through the council. It lifts up a lot of hesitance from residents. We don’t believe in that model which exists in different social environment of giving. For us we are giving you a platform for you to make your own projects. We collaborate with the council but we are not the council. We have our funders.

At the end of our fifth year, that’s what the thing is about Lab director, that’s one of the value creation, called systemic integration. One of the things we are trying to plan: what’s the legacy of EOED, the council takes up this and does it itself. We are developing this entire new type of participation culture, but it’s also co-production. If the council understands this and sees that for five years this model has worked then it integrates co-production in its own offices, then we don’t need to exist.

(Me: so other councils will then see this success and take it on) Yes so its replicating parts of the PC model everywhere.

5. What is the most influential thing you are finding in your research at the moment? Is there anything directing you differently than you had thought?

A: One is the example I gave you off the record we weren’t expecting that much in that so soon, as its just been 6 months of real groundwork. A lot of outcomes were planned and when we applied for funding we told them we want to engage with this many residents year 1-3 so we had figures. We have a matrix match so far so good.

129

6. Is the project successful so far? How do you measure its success?

A: Success is all about participation. If there are people coming in it means it’s successful, if not there’s something wrong. We calculate residents as evaluators, them coming is our biggest success. If the timing is wrong, we test in the evening or those skills are not required anymore, they have it, doesn’t mean it’s a success or not just means the skills are not required out there. Things change from local connections and context. Something that is require din B+D won’t be required in Edinburgh. Those 5 indicators developed as learnings from previous projects. One of our funders is the Big Lottery – five indices along outlines of UN sustainable goals. We developed ours from them.

The five criteria of our Evaluation framework: Feasibility Inclusivity Value Creation Systemic Integration Replicability Five indices of Value creation: Education and Employment Index Community Cohesion and Collective Action Index Mental and Physical Health Index Environmental Clean and Green Index Resilience Index Developing indicators of what really represents this – 5-10 per index. Some of them are direct outcomes like number of people attending, number of parks accessed, number of places which were earlier not accessible and now unlocked. Some are compound outcomes, people come together and say I’ve saved this much by doing this...today I learnt this...Some are networked outcomes – how do these social networks form and does this help in resilience.

7. What is your vision for the future high street?

A: Create and improve neighbourhood to enable people in the borough to significantly improve their own lives, to build a new fully tested participation system which can be replicated elsewhere.

7a. Because your shops are on the high street, do you think it will affect or inform what is happening in those areas?

The second shop is not on the high street. You can see the clear differences. We have got really clear connections with residents on the parade in Dagenham, the same come every day and they become key holders, some people come to water the plants. In Barking it’s not that much, because it’s in high street and theres’ a lot of shops – it is different people every day. What are the type of people coming in? What are the type of projects? We have to take projects to the residents as well. Big kitchen and easy access barking compared to Dagenham. Very context based. Three more shops. We consider how easy it is for people to commute because we want people to use more public transport. It is geographically placed where everyone can go to their nearest shop. At the moment some of them do travel.

School of Architecture MArch Dissertation : Consent Form for Participants (16+ Years)

Please circle or highlight Yes or No

1. I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet explaining the above research project and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the project.

Yes

No

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without there being any negative consequences. In addition, should I not wish to answer any particular question or questions, I am free to decline.

Yes

No

3. I understand that my responses will be kept strictly confidential. I give permission for the student and their tutor to have access to my responses. I understand that my name will not be linked with the design research material unless I expressly give my consent.

Yes

No

4. I give my consent for my name / my organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name to be linked with the research materials (for example in direct quotes)

Yes

No

Yes

No

6. I agree to photographs and video of me and my work appearing in the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research study or later publications, presentations and the School of Architecture Digital Archive.

Yes

No

7. I agree to take part in the above research project.

Yes

No

5. I agree to sound recordings, photographs and video being taken of me and my work for research analysis. I understand that these will be deleted/destroyed once the University assessment process is complete.

___Ruchit Purohit __________ Name of participant

_23/08/18_________ Date

Ruchit___________________ Signature

Anna White Student researcher

23/08/18 Date

_____AWhite_____________ Signature

To be signed and dated in presence of the participant

Student researcher contact details: awhite10@sheffield.ac.uk Copies: Once this has been signed by all parties the participant should receive a copy of the signed and dated participant consent form, the information sheet and any other written information provided to the participants. A copy of the signed and dated consent form should be placed in the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main record (e.g. a site file), which must be kept in a secure location.

131

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation.

Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Company:

Julian Dobson Urban Pollinators

Date: 15 /09 /18 Role: Writer, researcher, placemaking/regeneration consultant

1. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? Is this a current role or what could it be?

A: My immediate answer is yes but it’s a collaborative and I think that’s about thinking about what architecture is, what architecture does which is more than simply about design but it is also about working with clients, with users, so for me architecture has a role which is about space, especially spaces not within but in between, outside buildings. I’m particularly interested in the public realm and how it can be genuinely public, so I think architects have a right to be in that conversation along with many other people. I think there’s a role about the client/contractor relationship – who is the architect working for? Maybe needs to be a bit more dialective, more of a conversation between architect and client and users of space to think about what benefits that space might bring for whom and not just what is the space the client has given the architect, more thinking what architecture is and what it’s for.

Role of urban designer – architecture, planning, people skills, landscape, understanding space and needs of people in space. Urban design is probably the role that’s nearest to thinking about the high street but within that the traditional architectural function is quite important, people do respond to what buildings look like, even if they don’t respond positively, they notice the negative. The whole death of the high street narrative is not just shops closing, not because we all desperately need House of Fraser, it’s actually that idea that when something is kicked out of a place, the place itself deteriorates images of empty shops, weeds growing out of gutters, conjures up associations of deprivation and dereliction a sense that things aren’t what they used to be so there’s a huge nostalgia around the high street which I think is connected to the loss of the sense of place.

2. How do you think architects need to adapt their current role to achieve this in the future? What should they be doing differently?

A: If you look at any urban space, you’ve got hubs, if you’re looking at what makes a good town centre, you want an open space for people to gather, it would be nice if it was a green open space, park element, civic landmark to create a sense of identity and focal point. Variety of activity. UK context, transport links are important – public transport hubs are potentially a place that can be a focal point – look at Sheffield Interchange – example of transport hubs which is a wasted opportunity – if it was closer to the city centre o if other functions were closer to that, you could start to see the massing of different uses and dynamic, using that space for theatre, music, social functions.

3. You gave a presentation entitled “The people-centred city – how can architects and planners create cities fit for the future?”. What was your advice/conclusion in this?

A: Understanding of design the physical constraints and what is physically possible and what kind of issues, but I think more generally there are deeper philosophical issues that architects and planners need to engage with which are effectively about the right to the city, who does the city belong to?

That within the debate about the high street is about moving away from a set of values that privileges the commercial, economic development above social development and concerned above all in what can be measured – processes that are more organic, time limited – if you think of cities as evolving to adapt different demands, climate change, economy, digital, political, how can we use the skills and expertise that built environment professionals can bring to assist that process in a way that increases the stake that citizens within different locations have in their towns. For me the goal is to activate communities to create a reconnection with place in a way that makes people feel they have a stake in what happens and think what we’ve seen particularly in retail over the last 40years, increasingly in digital ages, is a disconnection of that retail activity , because town centres have become so dedicated to retail, you end up with a price when retail goes through its periodically because everything else has been stripped out. I would argue very strongly that you need to put back in the public realm – not just spaces but public services, what are the things that bring communities together. Libraries for example, the idea of the library as constituted in the Victorian times is no longer relevant. That physical building where you go to read books because you can’t afford them is only relevant to a small proportion of society. What could a library be that has the sort of ethos but is more of a social hub, more of a place where people can get together. Look back at the kind of functions that would’ve been in a small market town 100 years ago, it would’ve been local services, local gov, health services, schooling, religious institutions, possibly playgrounds, industry, private sector, if you look at these, 100 years on, what’s the relevance of these services?

Which ones could be reintroduced into town centres? Which ones might need radically rethinking?

Organised religion for example, it varies hugely, in area in East London there’s no end of buildings that might’ve been shops, being repurposed as religious buildings to cater for new communities. Or buildings moving from being used by one religious group to being used by another one. Driven by need and by communities. If you have a group of people who have arrived in a place from somewhere like Eritrea, they will create their community centres which may be religious centre and gathering place within neighbourhood that they find themselves, they will find a building, invariably that is cheap and accessible. What are things that can be repurposed? Residential uses particularly in traditional retail town centres - that retail footprint doesn’t need to be as big, people do need places to live that are close to transport hubs that are accessible, affordable, although there are huge problems with permitted development especially in office to residential conversions, there is a strong argument for some conversion to residential, helps keep it alive, in 50 years’ time might need something different, it’s about flexibility. From a planning perspective – having the imagination to see what kind of uses contribute to a place and what kinds of uses are detrimental and anti-social, getting away from rigid interpretations of use classes and zoning, into something that is a little bit fuzzy and organic, much more how towns have developed in the past. It’s not about neoliberal deregulation it’s about flexible regulation, allowing local authorities, and I can’t see a better alternative to local authorities to act in that process, to interpret at a local level how planning rules should be implemented and enforced. That local responsiveness is something that is often missing.

Inevitably, sometimes that won’t work but that is part of organic-ness of place. We need to have a bit of elasticity.

4. What would you say is the first thing or the main thing we can do to start moving towards this civic and people-led high street and new architect role?

A: Usually response to a problem, start with the people who want to respond, how to turn that conversation from a response to a problem to a wider opportunity. If what we’re seeing on high street is crisis, that’s an opportunity.

133

5. You talk a lot about seeing the town centre or high street as the ‘commons’ – how do you think architects might fit into that? What would their role become?

A: If you think of the idea of a governing body overseeing the commons, let’s call it a local authority, then, it doesn’t have to do everything, but it has to facilitate. But if you’re talking about a smaller area where there’s a devolved sense of regulation, within that area, planning, architecture transport, landscaping, community representation, some form of democratic representation, accountability, they all need to within that team. Local authorities should have a stronger appreciation of urban design as general rule. Within local authorities that are responsible for dispersed areas, having a local team which includes designers with an appreciation of the specifics of that locality is. I would say within every there need to be people who have an overview of that space but that’s a collaborative role. The idea of master planners coming up with a lovely diagram map which shows the future for this place and taking it out to people and asking for their view that’s a patriarchal way of doing it, needs to be more collaborative. There’s plenty of good practices out there that do that, I would see that as being the way forward. Inevitably it takes longer, it demands patience and investment over a long period of time.

Q: New development, retail and cinema complex – how do we encourage moving away from that?

Fundamental philosophical shift that needs to take place from understanding the inhabitants of a place as consumers to understanding them as citizens. It seems to me that local authorities are the people that should be the guardians of that, and it’s then they are often looking for quick fixes. The trouble is those quick fixes don’t last. The average lifespan of a shopping centre might be 2530years, and the amount of disruption to a place that is caused by producing that kind of thing is huge. There’s a real problem for me which is the ownership. If you’re talking about commercial developments, in order to do it, it needs to be hugely capitalised, you need access to asset resources, but the organisations that do that sort of thing have got to realise their return on it internally 5-10 years. He swathes of what should be the public realm, in effectively private hands.

Places that are not successfully managed deteriorate very quickly, and there’s very little the local authority can do about it.

Q:How change that?

Ownership – hold interest for public benefit, community land trust, community interest. Local gov is under pressure from central gov. Hugely fragmented ownership, very difficult. Organic piecemeal – organisation with a vision for that space, neighbourhood forum might be effective.

6. Have you come across places where there isn’t much citizen-led activism and where people aren’t participating in change? What happens then? What can architects do?

A: Always there in the background. If you’re talking to people about a place, by virtue of the fact they want to talk to you means they’re engaged. You’ll often get a sense of distrust and cynicism. Whenever you try and suggest something positive people say it’ll never work here. Becomes a self-fulling prophecy.

Q: Is it up to local authority to get that interest?

If the local authority wont, find the people who will. The culture and demands of austerity, places a huge amount of pressure on planners and stifles creativity, so I don’t particularly blame planners, but I do think that’s there’s a failure of imagination.

People who are imaginative – usually have access to some form of resource. They don’t have huge cash facilities, but they have huge social facilities in terms of networks and their ability to mobilise so sometimes you need to look out for the people who area interested.

Identify what are the assets you have, often people, social capitol. Don’t under-estimate the challenge.

There are often people who will do something for a while and then run out of steam.

Participatory city – how to turn that mass of activity into things that are long-lasting.

7. Do architects need to become active citizens rather than waiting for clients? Do they need to be local to a project to do this?

A: Proactive side - I think it’s very difficult for architects to do that on their own, I don’t think they should. I think architects should be part of the conversation engaging with other users of the space nd especially with those cities and their projects, if you’ve got people who are interested in the future of a high street, what skills do hose people need to bring into the mix in order to achieve their aspirations and one of those skills is architetcure and urban design and understanding what that can do. If you think of the architect as a contractor, traditional contractual relationship with a client about specific site, then my argument would be, there needs to be a slightly wider vision about who the client is, not just the person paying to do the job but the public who is going to be using it.

Q: How set up that conversation?

Vary depending on context – there isn’t a blueprint. It might be a bunch of people getting together over coffee saying we think something needs to be done here and then widening that conversation or it might be a more formal process like neighbourhood planning.

8. In how to save our town centres you say: “In a ‘we town’ there is an honest and respectful conversation between the professionals who offer their services for a fee and the volunteers who work for love, each recognising the value of others’ contributions.” How do you encourage/enforce this everywhere so that architects and volunteers mutually benefit?

A: Difficult to enforce. I think encouraging it is really key, sharing examples, not the idea of best practice as in blueprint, but you see things are working well, what are the principles that are adaptable. Paying attention to the specifics of locality – not thinking let’s have a cinema because that’s what everyone else is doing. Opening up to ideas from elsewhere. Germany Balgrubben – area for development, to develop a plot you have to be in a group of friends, neighbours, must have active ground floor use, have to have a partnership with a service provider. Think of the plot as a microcosm of place. You can scale those conversations up. With relevant professionals. Moving away from design and build quick fix. Who holds the ring, who makes that conversation happen? Start with the people who are interested. Say to them how can make that conversation bigger. Include everyone. Takes time. Temptation to say what can we do to quickly fix it. The opportunity is for a much slower form of development. Whilst that’s going on sense that place is deteriorated and nothing’s happening, just conversations.

9. Are you hopeful for the future of high streets?

You have to be. I think people have to hope otherwise the alternative despair. The question for me is: what kinds of crisis or cooker points spread that hope beyond a small number of activists? Town centres on mass – don’t know.Hopeful that there will always be people in certain places who will makes things happen and...inspire other people. Longer-term, there needs to be reinforced policy law, reinforced policies that retain land value within communities, retain ownership, shift away from seeing town centres and high streets as places of speculation to thinking of them as places where we start to build asset base for the community. We need policies that that dampen down incentive to speculative and increase incentive to invest. We need return to sustainable level of funding from local gov however arranged that channels resources into things that need it, return to understanding that deprivation and disadvantage is a national crisis as well as a local one, needs to be redistributed elements to funding from gov and communities. Needs to be an understanding and appreciation that the investment needs to be longer term – fundamental shift from values that dominate current policy; not impossible, but it does demand major rethinking. What will prompt it? More than just a change of gov. Time lag involved - need to put in place where-with-all for localities to start building futures for themselves over a long period. The idea that you can do that over one or two parliaments, fundamentally flawed, need to rethink central funding.

135

137

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Fiona O’Brien Company: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Date: 27/06/18 Role: Principal Towns Manager

1.

What have you been doing to regenerate/redesign the high street in your area/Principal Towns?

A: Not focusing on retail - there’s got to be another pull Developing town hall Penistone to copy success of Barnsley museum – flexible space in town hall in community for ‘Experience Penistone’ exhibit Tourist element - attract more people In small high streets, make more use of features – eg. existing park behind make more attractive and accessible with picnic areas, wildflower areas, children’s facilities Need to provide a unique or different offer A lot of our high streets are cluttered with bollards, benches as they have not been developed properly – just grown over time and whenever money became available they would stick a tree or random bench in Example: Wombwell – market on high street – really difficult for those with a disability or poor sight to access and move around – like an obstacle course Need to declutter!

Cudworth and Penistone – looking at how to use buildings more efficiently eg. could combine council offices and police offices in same building to get rid of underused assets Assets are useful for other community facilities or purposes Small areas lack an identity – looking at adding heritage or history boards and signposts to places of interest – wayfinding routes unique in themselves

2. Who have you been working with to do so?

Internal services – asset management Library review Police – potential to create one-stop hub of services Arcadis – only external company – took ages to get on board – procurement regs Community

3. Have you worked with any architects during the scheme? If so, at what part of the process were they brought on board? If not, why were they not involved?

Arcadis – architects consultants after we did our work (ask to look at masterplans later in summer) Shame not interacted with architects in small towns Obviously they work with architects for the bigger town centres – partly because there they have no community consultation Here in Penistone - community consultation helps Lack of money stops council involving architects as they don’t want to waste money on fees Architecture students very useful and free! – taken a lot of ideas from them

4. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? Please explain or describe.

Definitely – dealing with community, they have various aspirations and ideas but we need that professional element of architect to bring ideas into reality and produce drawings – most people can’t imagine something if they can’t see it so the drawings and visualising of the architects is needed Arcadis come up with plans from consultations then take back to community for more feedback – hope to develop like this Back and forth between architects and community would be best option I think the council would be floundering without Arcadis All different aspects you guys did for Penistone – can’t possibly do all that Not elected members’/councils’ forte Reality check given by professionals – what can we actually make work?

5. How do/will you measure the success of your scheme?

Very difficult! Start with basic footfall counting Shopfront scheme – relationship with retail and service providers – find out if their profits have risen or not after scheme?

Number of vacant units Try and ascertain perception of public – pride in area

6. 6. What would be your (or your company’s) ideal vision for the future high street?

7. “Make local places best possible place they can be for the locals” Not going to be touristy – make sure locals can use local shops and that they’re not travelling far to get basics Make the high street appealing and give the locals a reason to go there If people actually like the place they live in = less crime etc

7.

Are there any policies/regulations/professional bodies or other factors that stop you from going ahead and implementing ideas on the high street or that make the process more difficult?

Everything: “Oh! How much time have you got?!”

Previously worked on European funded projects in which you have got to get quotes and value for money for everything – takes a long time Principal towns – as we are using council money, we should use internal services Regs around local government – so slow!

Tendering properly takes time Highways – delays because they’re so busy Planning - 4 months approval just for shopfront scheme!

Lot of hoops and approvals needed

8.

Do you have any other comments about how the system works and what you might like to see change?

Would like to see consideration of value for money outweighing use of internal services to involve external Shopfront scheme – signage change needs planning permission – planning agreed that if we can get block of shops together they will look at joint application – speed up process Principal Towns works under both ‘Place’ and ‘Communities’ directorates – have to run everything through both!

Consultation with community most important

9.Do you think you might contact Architecture students again and get them involved in a similar scheme to PenistoneLIVE? Definitely again, good idea to integrate architects into council Elected members all said they had bits of ideas in head, but when students came they really focused the ideas, showed real potential in town, just vague ideas before with no way of progressing - architecture students provided clear vision, reason why Penistone is more ahead than other towns in its scheme

FUTURE HIGH STREET INTERVIEW Thank you for agreeing to take part in my research for the Sheffield School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. The overall aim is to investigate the future of the high street, how it could become more sustainable and people-centred, and the role of the architect within this. Your responses to the following questions will be kept confidential and used only to inform the resultant dissertation. Can I record this conversation? : YES Name: Rowan Mackay Company: Broxbourne Borough Council

Date: 04/07/18 Role: Senior Urban Designer and Conservation Officer

1. What have you been doing to regenerate/redesign the high street in your area?

Town centre in Cheshunt in Broxbourne, Herfordshire, part of London economically Area built up around agriculture 20th century Horticultural industry subsided – whereas residential increased Economy in area shifted to London High street was part of daily life – less case now, large proportion work in London – but still used and valued Strategy – recognise challenges – what is working, trends nationally Works at moment – civic and leisure activities – leisure centres, library, community hospital, youth connections – some under threat – recognise importance civic functions in supporting other retail and commercial activities Not enough to rely on retail alone – retail now propping up other activities Don’t have to buy anything to go into library – disparities in wealth and poverty Service based commercial activity - food and drink Like to add civic to high street – council has to make viable proposals Just closed community centre – links to how council treats property assets – short term view of their assets in terms of how to monetise them – commercial properties – poor decisions in who let to – pizza place etc. – reasoning – one of only companies who came forward ‘on terms council set out’ eg. amount of rent charging – what would hope to see is to take a more holistic view of the mix of shops and services on the high street and to use council properties strategically – in that you may not be getting the highest returns but looking at the long term value in using that property to improve the mix of uses – emergence in long term of better functioning town centre Business rates and parking Funding through developers – section 106 – doesn’t capture enough – could be increased Budget £2million for scheme – pinning on receiving from development over the road – worked with architects on residential and mixed used scheme – developing design code

2.Who have you been working with to do so?

Public Just me Councillors

3. Have you worked with any architects during the scheme? If not, why were they not involved?

Not yet Strategic level to set out brief, not proposing any built projects other than public realm Not to say we shouldn’t or won’t

4. Do you think architects have a role in high street regeneration? What is it?

Yes More design capacity that councils can have the better Council should make more links make with external organisations Live works – council willing to take different view and approach Council needs to open up – needs work from people on inside Role for external groups to be provocative Offer alternative ways of thinking – too much to expect that a council can do it themselves Role of design as researching different actors and economies and production High streets need to be sites of economic and social production Archis can look at spaces that exist and production provided – find void Depends where architect is taught – eg. Sheffield social value – role in exploring how these places can be of value to cultures and communities

5. As an urban designer, how would you describe your role in high street regeneration?

Capacity to produce documents Produced whole regeneration scheme on own Involved in development management, planning applications, pre-app process, planning policy Common now for councils to set up own development companies – Croydon – undertakes strategic proposals of council

6. How is that role different and how are the outcomes of the projects different between when you were external consultant to the council to now when you work within the council? How does that integration change things?

Different stage in process - creating briefs rather than consulting/technical – more important stage Councils are bad at being provocative Everything has to be justified Council should get out the way – understand where lacking in capacity – how do you then initiate a provocative project?

Invite educational institutions

7. How do/will you measure the success of your scheme?

Wealth of the area - financial

8. What factors stop you from implementing ideas on the high street or make the process more difficult?

Reduced council budgets – need to financialise assets Have to apply for change of use – multiple times – eg. fast food to café is just nature of extraction fan!

Need to find and provide evidence on which to deny application – fastfoods etc and single use - Difficult to justify against market trends Obesity around schools easier Planning process Councils have to produce own policies – no resources to continuously evidence studies Permitted development – change commercial to residential, happens outside of planning, councils have no control – eg. office block into housing - removes building from strategic planning

9. Who are you accountable to for high street schemes?

Councils respond to pressure – government, businesses, rarely from public – but if were mass protests – difficult for public to know change of use is going on – there are some councillors who are supposed to bring these to our attention, should have more councillors to make us aware of those things Accountability falls back on evidence of work done – make a good case – inefficient system – documents

141

10. Who is in control of what happens on the high street? Who is responsible? Should someone be accountable?

Property department in council – decides who to let council properties to Planning authorities respond to proposals rather than initiating Rare to consult before brief – people annoyed at lack of variety of shops on high street Planning has little tools to control mix of uses unless council owned properties – this is where potential lies to explore alternatives Very little engagement with private landlords – scheme proposes to set up business development group, sit around table together Too many estate agents and pizza – not good enough, need more daily use 2010 council budgets halved – 2022 no money from central government – councils become worst developers Financial director – different councils structured in different ways, finance job is to ensure there is enough money to run council – those people have the most control

11. Would you like to see anything change about the current system?

Role for councils to play in intervening in private landlords Planning policy – change of use, singular use Make process more accessible Improve contact within council departments – planning and property – at the moment don’t integrate as there is so much work and so few resources and way is to find path of least resistance – massive problem – dis-incentivises cross boundary working Look long term – real social and economic value – use powers here – needs resources and money

12. What would be your ideal vision for the future high street and who would you involve to create this?

Diversity of uses Council get out the way – should exist and do have role, need to realise their limitations, less control Local autonomy Provide spaces and resources Freedom for different groups Depends on context – everywhere is different Current overstated emphasis on retail Civic function has disappeared – shame – still need and value for people to be in proximity to one another and be part of the production Find a way of encouraging production

143