Research: Institute of Place Management
A series of studies helping to shape and secure the future of high streets and town centres through data, analysis, and applied research techniques.
Summary
Manchester Met and the Institute of Place Management
Manchester Met’s researchers have been studying changes in the retail sector and shopping spaces such as town centres since the 1980s.
They have produced over 300 academic articles, winning major prizes and awards as well as completing applied research projects for the private, public and third sectors.
Since 2006, this research has been carried out through the Institute of Place Management (IPM).
Most recently, the IPM’s focus has been on high streets and town centres - enhancing their vitality and viability, improving stakeholder collaboration and encouraging more evidence-based decision-making.
High streets have been major contributors to local economies, as well as helping shape the culture and identity of communities.
Many of these spaces in the UK are now in decline - under pressure from economic downturns, out-of-town retailing, and the rising popularity of online retail.
The research conducted through the IPM research projects has both investigated and influenced local and national policy.
Quote
The IPM have helped guide and advise the Withington Village Regeneration Partnership (WVRP) over the last couple of years. Drawing on footfall evidence, as recommended by the IPM, we have been able to measure the success of late night events, with the first Withington By Night event increasing footfall by 30.2% compared to average Fridays. The WVRP have found the relationship with the IPM to be incredibly useful and we hope to continue to engage with them into the future.
Projects
Featured projects
High Street UK 2020
The ESRC-funded project addressed concerns that retailers and others responsible for managing change on the high street lacked evidence for making informed decisions.
Researchers worked with ten UK towns to develop a set of criteria that can be used to analyse and identify opportunities to improve high streets, as well as other smaller centres.
They identified a longlist of 201 factors that impact the vitality and viability of a town or city centre, including:
- changing opening hours to better meet the needs of the community
- improving customer service at the town-level rather than for individual retailers
- the location and quality of car parking
The IPM then convened panels of experts to prioritise the list, taking account of potential impact and how much control local stakeholders would have over a particular measure.
The project’s findings were published in a special issue of the Journal of Place Management and Development.
Bringing Big Data to Small Users
The Innovate UK-funded project is a collaboration between the IPM, Springboard, Cardiff University and MyKnowledgeMap.
Researchers analysed a large volume of Springboard’s footfall data showing centre activity patterns for 150 town and city centre locations across the UK.
Unlike planning classifications, activity data shows how people are using an area, which helps to track changes in consumer behaviour and the impact of any place interventions.
The analysis revealed four ‘footfall signature’ types:
- comparison shopping towns
- holiday towns
- speciality towns
- multifunctional/community/convenience towns
This work also led to the development of a place management information system and a dashboard product, which were built by technology partners MyKnowledgeMap.
The tools give stakeholders the ability to make evidence-based forecasts when trying to boost local economies, tourism, services and other aspects.
High street Task Force
Featured research outputs
Featured research outputs
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Transforming the vitality and viability of the UK’s high streets (March 2022) Chartered Association of Business Schools
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Mumford, C, Parker, C, Ntounis, N and Dargan, E (2021) Footfall signatures and volumes: Towards a classification of UK centres EPB: Urban Analytics and City Science, 48(6) pp1495–1510
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HM Government (2018) Future High Street Fund Policy Paper
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Mumford, C, Parker, C, Ntounis, N and Dargan, E ( 2017) A clustering study to verify four distinct monthly footfall signatures: a classification for UK retail centres
- IPM (2017) HSUK2020 Special Issue of the Journal of Place Management and Development, including:
- Parker, C et al (2017) Improving the vitality and viability of the UK High Street by 2020: Identifying priorities and a framework for action
- Ntounis, N and Parker, C (2017) Engaged scholarship on the High Street: the case of HSUK2020
- Millington, S and Ntounis, N (2017) Repositioning the high street: evidence and reflection from the UK
- Theodoridis, C, Ntounis, N and Pal, J (2017) How to reinvent the High Street: evidence from the HS2020
- Ntounis, N and Kavaratzis, M (2017) Re-branding the High Street: the place branding process and reflections from three UK towns
- Peel, D and Parker, C (2017) Planning and governance issues in the restructuring of the high street
Researchers
Funders
With funding from
UK government
Innovate UK
Economic & Social Research Council
Contact
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