Interviews Interviews with users of the high street are a useful tool to understand the high street experience from the perspective of the people who inhabit it. They
Dalkeith high street
allow the participants to describe the high street in their own terms, bringing forward elements that might have not been previously considered by the researchers. The open-ended nature of interviews allows the participants to share their own expertise about the high street, allowing new themes and unexpected connections to emerge.
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During each research day, and at each different timeslot, the research team approached passers-by and occupants of the street asking if they could be interviewed about the local area and their own habits within it. Should a passerby decline being interviewed, the researcher would ask the next third person that walked by. This method ensures that interviewees are recruited in an unbiased fashion. Dependent on how much time an interview had to talk, certain questions were omitted as needed or the conversation adapted. Based on interviewee feedback, the research team adapted questions to be most easily communicated and yield the most relevant insights from participants.
Method
Key Findings
Interviews were designed to last 5-10 minutes. They included questions that cover three main topics: • Routines, • Assessment of the high street • Desired elements.
Interviews conducted with passers-by and business owners tend to show that people see Dalkeith’s high street as a busy place, with an important community dimension, but that has been affected by the pandemic both in terms of a decrease in the number of visitors and in the closing down of shops. Despite these difficulties, a number of interviewees reported that they do spend time in the high street, either while waiting for the bus, or as they meet up with friends.
Routines were addressed with questions about the reasons why the participant is there in the high street, their usual destinations and practices in the street, as well as two questions about online shopping and whether the participant’s online shopping habits have changed during the pandemic. The assessment of the high street was addressed by questions asking if the participant usually spends time in the high street, how would they rate the high street on a scale from 1 to 10, and what three words they would use to describe the area. Finally, desired elements were addressed by asking the participants about shops, services, or other facilities they wish were available in the high street, as well as things they would change to make the area a more pleasant place to spend time in. Using this method, the research team interviewed a total of 36 pedestrians.
Whilst respondents did frequently describe the high street as ‘friendly’, words like ‘depressing’ and ‘dull’ were also common, often mentioning how little they feel there is to do in terms of variety. The materiality and infrastructures of the high street were described as ‘dated’ and ‘run-down’, with particular attention to Jarnac Court as infrastructure in need of renovation. Among the desired elements mentioned by the interviewees, many had to do with making the high street a more pleasant place to spend time in (e.g. planting, more varied seating options and lighting, toilets, etc.). Other suggestions included more outdoor entertainment, like live music and shows. Finally, a significant number of respondents were interested in including a wider variety of shops on the high street, particularly those attractive to younger people and families.