2 - Plug-in Community in Care

Neighbourhood

The Ideas

The civic organs of our towns and cities are under threat. Funding cuts to youth services and rising costs of social care are leaving behind the young and the old and weakening their stake in society. Meanwhile, our town centres are losing their role as the heart of communities. First taken over almost exclusively by retail and now hollowed out as retailing moves online, we are discovering too late that a shopping centre is not a town centre. But could these shifts offer an opportunity to reset how local centres work?

Planners, town centre managers and retailers agree, we need to use every means to increase footfall – the number of people in the high street. There are many ways to do this but co-locating health, social care and civic functions alongside shops is not just good for commerce, it offers the potential to combine trips making walking and public transport more attractive. Bustling, vibrant streets feel safer and can help us feel like part of society again and for some, seeking help is easier if it is more convenient.

Bringing a wider range of civic and social functions into town and reversing the decline in town centre population can also offer a new future for ageing shopping centres struggling to fill empty retail units. This will require coordination across local government, pension funds (who have invested in much of our commercial property) and retailers but can also involve a wider range of actors including education and healthcare providers.

The benefits

Bringing more people into town and local centres supports commercial viability. Co-location reduces journeys by combining trips, reducing the impacts of traffic and encouraging active travel. Making healthcare more accessible and increasing visibility and awareness of public health initiatives. Overcoming hesitancy in accessing support and care by combining with inviting shops and cafes.

The evidence

‘Council investment in shopping malls surges to £1bn’ The Guardian September 2019 https://www.theguardian. com/business/2019/sep/16/council-investment-in-shopping-malls-surges-to-1bn

C21 Community Centre #4

Struggling High Streets and shopping centres are an opportunity to rebalance the mix of retail, leisure and community offer. Colocating health care with leisure, fitness and related retail e.g. chemists, opticians etc. makes our town centres more welcoming, helps drive footfall benefitting other retailers, makes services more accessible and allows combined trips to reduce traffic congestion and enhance public transport viability.