New identities for district centres
Many district centres in inner urban areas are in decline because their poor shopping environment cannot compete effectively with superstores, retail parks and modernised town centres. Their inexpensive premises, however, allow opportunities for innovative businesses as well as non-profit-making community and arts facilities. This paper examines whether Clifton Street, one of Cardiff's oldest district centres, can be successfully ‘branded’ as a specialist shopping, service and entertainment destination, while retaining its ‘basket shopping’ function for local residents and workers. Evidence is derived from surveys of traders and landowners, a planning consultants’ study, and interviews with local community interests and potential funders of environmental improvements to the centre. The conclusions are that public sector intervention and finance are essential for the centre's revival, but that there is little case at present for developing a marketing strategy and ‘brand’ for the centre.
Small retailers in an inner city community: a case study of Adamsdown, Cardiff
Many retail and business areas in Britain’s inner cities find difficulties in competing with modern retail developments in town centre and off‐centre locations, and are in decline as a result. This paper examines one such area, in Cardiff, Wales, and reviews the steps which could be taken to halt decline and revive the area’s economic and social role in the community. The views of traders and local residents concerning possible improvements to the area are explored, through consultations carried out through the local Community Forum and a survey carried out by students from Cardiff University. The paper concludes with a discussion of the main “agents for change”, in particular the crucial role of the local authority in facilitating environmental and economic change.
Regenerating inner city shopping centres: The British experience
Abstract This article traces approaches adopted in the UK in response to problems of declining retail facilities in inner city areas. Many of the approaches have been applied in relative isolation, and hence tend to address some but not all of the problems of such centres. One such approach has been the ‘regeneration thesis’, whereby a large new store is seen as a catalyst to wider shopping regeneration. A case study of an area of inner Nottingham is developed, where the introduction of a new superstore was portrayed thus, although empirical study suggests that this may not have proved to be so.