Search results

Examines town centre management styles using Ilford town centre as an illustration of a town centre management initiative. Discuss the background to the Ilford town centre management initiative, the role of local authorities, the traders′ association, the customers, and liaison with the police and public transport. Concludes that the town centre manager has the important job of co‐ordinating many services in a post more complex and broader in scope than that of shopping centre manager.

Identifies some of the industry‐wide changes such as the decentralization of retailing and the impact and implications for town centres of retailing and its wider function. Examines the recent upsurge of interest in town centre management in the context of current government planning policy guidelines and ministerial statements. Identifies the key components of successful town centres including private/public sector partnerships and funding. Demonstrates, through an examination of initiatives taken by two particular authorities, the need for a flexible interpretation of the concepts of town centre management.

Il Cuore di Novi is an example of an innovative way of regenerating and revitalising a town centre in Italy in the face of intense competition from large out‐of‐town retail and residential developements. This has been achieved through a combination of research surveys linked to an organic approach to marketing strategy and effective engagement with the town's local authority and small‐ and medium‐sized retailers. The paper's aim is to discuss this development.

This case study provides an example of retailer‐led town centre management in the Novi Ligure (Italy) and builds on previous work by Molinillo Jiménez, Sánchez del Río, Vilariño et al. and Coca‐Stefaniak et al.

Southern European models of retailer‐led town centre management, known in Italy as centro commerciale naturale and discussed by Valente, Zanderighi, Moras et al. and Codato et al. can be effective in competing with large out‐of‐town shopping centres through innovative place management and marketing techniques in town centres based on local know‐how, differentiation and customer service.

The case of Novi Ligure's successful retailer‐led town centre management scheme is unique in Italy in terms of its ability to integrate retail revitalisation with urban regeneration in a town centre. This scheme is ground‐breaking in Italy and provides further evidence of the success of Southern European bottom‐up retailer‐led place management models. This study is of value to practitioners and policy makers in place management, town centre management, local authority planning officers, urban regeneration consultants, academics, small‐ and medium‐sized independent retailers, community leaders and town centre residents.

Within the UK the past three decades have witnessed dramatic and continuing changes in the geography of retail provision. During this period the traditional supremacy of town and city centres at the top of the retail hierarchy has been increasingly successfully challenged by the development and diversification of out‐of‐town and edge of town shopping facilities. This ‘out of town exodus’ (Schiller, 1987) can be traced from the food superstores opened by grocery retailers from the late 1960's onwards through the development of retail warehouses, retail parks and regional shopping centres (Guy, 1994) to a more recent ‘fourth wave’ (Fernie, 1995) which include warehouse clubs, factory outlet centres and airport retailing. The cumulative effects of these developments are seen to pose a major challenge to retail businesses in town and city centres and perhaps more fundamentally to the centres themselves. The traditional spirit of the UK's town and country planning policies, first established some fifty years ago, was to positively support retail activity in town and city centres and to restrict out of town retail development (Guy, 1994). However, from the early 1980's onwards, such policies had only a limited effect in stemming the tide of retail decentralisation and they often seemed to be honoured more in the breach than in the observance.

Town centre management has gained recognition as a mechanism for urban renewal. The partnership between the private (mainly retailers) and the public (local authority) sectors has become accepted as a vital ingredient in achieving vitality and viability. The town centre management model has evolved from a tactical to a strategic role. This paper considers how current theory can inform the task of creating sustainable competitive advantage for an urban area. It discusses how the frameworks of partnership and services marketing should be adapted in order to meet the needs and expectations of today's consumer. The conclusion outlines how the management of urban areas can be more effective, now that the concept of town centre management has matured.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Building on an earlier publication in the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, the following article investigates the reasons for retailers’ involvement in town centre management (TCM) schemes in the UK. Findings are drawn from interviews with representatives of independent traders and national multiples, and a questionnaire survey of town centre managers. The article reveals several key reasons for retailers’ involvement in TCM and identifies some significant differences between independents and multiples in this respect. The findings show that the overriding motivation for the participation of retailers in TCM is their belief that it may benefit their business in some way. Equally importantly, the research identifies a number of reasons why retailers do not become involved in TCM schemes. The article concludes by showing that an understanding of the reasons for retailers’ involvement in TCM can play a significant role in attracting retail support for the concept.