Town centre
Encyclopedia
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial
or geographical centre or core area of a town
.
Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping
or retail
. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train
or bus
stations. Public buildings including town halls, museums and libraries are often found in town centres.
Town centres are symbol
ic to settlements as a whole and often contain the best examples of architecture, main landmark
buildings, statue
s and public spaces associated with a place.
—particularly large, urban areas—town centres refer to alternate commercial areas to the city's downtown. These centres are usually located within a large neighbourhood and characterized by medium-high density commercial and residential property.
" or, Main Street
in Ireland, ('Main Street America' being a loosely similar equivalent to town centre in USA) or a town square/ triangle etc. of a settlement where commercial activities took place such as markets.
In the mid-1990s the entry of many, mostly British multiples into the Republic of Ireland due to its rising economy, and the shared language and similar currencies etc. led to sensitivities expressed in the media (like The Irish Times
) that Irish 'main streets' in cities and town centres would lose their character, and worse (due to geographical/historical shared history as a small nation beside a large, previously dominant neighbour) would become indiscernible from English ('boring') regional town/city 'high streets'.
Ten or so years later, in the cities and larger towns at least, much of this has come to pass (although, to an extent, only because both countries accommodate many of the same global chains). This Angloisation of town centres to the point where the term 'high street' is often employed: even though it makes much less sense in the main street
Irish context.
in the 1840s.
As changes in shopping patterns occurred, town centres have been forced to adapt and meet those changes. Comprehensive redevelopment of many British town centres occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. This often resulted in development of larger store formats, often with modernist styles of architecture which significantly differed to their surroundings.
Other major changes included the development of indoor shopping malls in major towns and cities. Examples include the Arndale Centre in Manchester
, the St. James Centre
in Edinburgh
and the Bullring Centre in Birmingham
. These tended to be constructed in a Brutalist or Modernist fashion reflecting the architectural styles of the period.
During the Thatcher Government of the 1980s, a change in planning policy allowed competing out of town shopping and leisure centres to be developed. Examples include the Metro Centre in Gateshead
and the Gyle Centre in Edinburgh. Developments of this type have, in a number of places, resulted in a decline in traditional town centres.
In Britain, in particular, the preponderance of chain stores using their own same corporate idenitity, livery and so on in all, or nearly all of their outlets has led to a lack of diversity in many towns and cities with the phrase clone town
been coined.
Today, in the UK, there is a focus on the redevelopment of town centres and the creation of a greater mix of uses in the centres. Planning policy focus aims to maintain town centres as vibrant successful places, which are accessible to everyone by means other than the private car.http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/821/PlanningPolicyStatement6PlanningforTownCentres_id1143821.pdfhttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/07/26112710/0
Many town centres have undergone major redevelopment, with environmental improvements and increased retail
floorspace. Major town centre shopping malls, such as the Arndale Centre and the Bullring Centre, have also undergone major redevelopment to improve their image.
.
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
or geographical centre or core area of a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
.
Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
or retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
or bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
stations. Public buildings including town halls, museums and libraries are often found in town centres.
Town centres are symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ic to settlements as a whole and often contain the best examples of architecture, main landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
buildings, statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s and public spaces associated with a place.
Canada
In some areas of CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
—particularly large, urban areas—town centres refer to alternate commercial areas to the city's downtown. These centres are usually located within a large neighbourhood and characterized by medium-high density commercial and residential property.
Ireland
Town centres historically consisted of a principal thoroughfare usually known as "High StreetHigh Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
" or, Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
in Ireland, ('Main Street America' being a loosely similar equivalent to town centre in USA) or a town square/ triangle etc. of a settlement where commercial activities took place such as markets.
In the mid-1990s the entry of many, mostly British multiples into the Republic of Ireland due to its rising economy, and the shared language and similar currencies etc. led to sensitivities expressed in the media (like The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
) that Irish 'main streets' in cities and town centres would lose their character, and worse (due to geographical/historical shared history as a small nation beside a large, previously dominant neighbour) would become indiscernible from English ('boring') regional town/city 'high streets'.
Ten or so years later, in the cities and larger towns at least, much of this has come to pass (although, to an extent, only because both countries accommodate many of the same global chains). This Angloisation of town centres to the point where the term 'high street' is often employed: even though it makes much less sense in the main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
Irish context.
United Kingdom
The first example in the UK of a purposely planned commercial or town Centre is Newcastle's Grainger TownGrainger Town
Grainger Town is the historic heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.Based around classical streets built by Richard Grainger, a builder and developer, between 1824 and 1841, some of Newcastle upon Tyne's finest buildings and streets lie within the Grainger Town area of the City centre including...
in the 1840s.
As changes in shopping patterns occurred, town centres have been forced to adapt and meet those changes. Comprehensive redevelopment of many British town centres occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. This often resulted in development of larger store formats, often with modernist styles of architecture which significantly differed to their surroundings.
Other major changes included the development of indoor shopping malls in major towns and cities. Examples include the Arndale Centre in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, the St. James Centre
St. James Centre
The St. James Centre is a shopping centre located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was designed by Ian Burke & Martin in 1964.Due to its brutalist architecture, it is one of Edinburgh's most unloved buildings, but remains a popular and busy shopping location....
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and the Bullring Centre in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. These tended to be constructed in a Brutalist or Modernist fashion reflecting the architectural styles of the period.
During the Thatcher Government of the 1980s, a change in planning policy allowed competing out of town shopping and leisure centres to be developed. Examples include the Metro Centre in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
and the Gyle Centre in Edinburgh. Developments of this type have, in a number of places, resulted in a decline in traditional town centres.
In Britain, in particular, the preponderance of chain stores using their own same corporate idenitity, livery and so on in all, or nearly all of their outlets has led to a lack of diversity in many towns and cities with the phrase clone town
Clone town
Clone town is a global term for a town where the High Street or other major shopping areas are significantly dominated by Chain stores. The term was coined by the New Economics Foundation , a British think tank, in their 2004 report on "Clone Town Britain".A survey conducted by NEF in 2005...
been coined.
Today, in the UK, there is a focus on the redevelopment of town centres and the creation of a greater mix of uses in the centres. Planning policy focus aims to maintain town centres as vibrant successful places, which are accessible to everyone by means other than the private car.http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/821/PlanningPolicyStatement6PlanningforTownCentres_id1143821.pdfhttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/07/26112710/0
Many town centres have undergone major redevelopment, with environmental improvements and increased retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
floorspace. Major town centre shopping malls, such as the Arndale Centre and the Bullring Centre, have also undergone major redevelopment to improve their image.
Project Area Committee
A Town Centre Project Area Committee (PAC) is an advisory body that reviews town centre projects that require approval by the redevelopment agency and/or city councilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
.
See also
- UK shopping malls
- Shopping mallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
- DowntownDowntownDowntown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
(Similar to 'town centre', but can be used in cities and/or townTownA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s.) - CBDCentral business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
- Principles of Intelligent UrbanismPrinciples of Intelligent UrbanismPrinciples of Intelligent Urbanism is a theory of urban planning composed of a set of ten axioms intended to guide the formulation of city plans and urban designs. They are intended to reconcile and integrate diverse urban planning and management concerns...
References
- Ayris, I (1997) A City of Palaces
- Cowling, D (1997) An Essay for Today- The Making of the Scottish New Towns 1946-1996
- Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2005) PPS6- Planning for Town Centres
- Scottish Executive (2006) SPP8- Town Centres & Retailing