Creating Better Places - Town Team Movement

People are attracted to spaces that feel comfortable, welcoming and safe.

Turning a forgotten space into a thriving place is similar to turning a house into a home. Things that make a home feel interesting and comfortable: people, comfortable furniture, conversation, food and drink etc – are also critical ingredients to creating a great place. We need to make people “feel at home”.

Attracting more people for longer periods is the key to creating a more vibrant, interesting and economically successful places.

Great places don’t just happen by accident. They need to be created by people for people. It takes some hard work.

But there are huge benefits. We get an amazing place where we can relax, shop, meet friends, live, work and play. A place to feel proud of.

Governments sometimes plan big budget projects to revitalise an area, but they are expensive and often fail. It is much better to encourage smaller, creative, community-driven projects that taken together deliver positive changes.

Helping your business

Creating great places has lots of benefits, but it is also one of the best ways to improve your business.

The more people who walk past your business and stop to look at your amazing window display or quirky business signage, the greater chance you have of making a sale. Attracting more “wallets past shop windows” can help increase your sales.

“The prosperity of your business is directly related to how many people are in your street. And that depends on ‘the vibe’ in the street or ‘sense of place’. Build the quality and diversity of the experience package on offer in your street and you will see the dividends in your till.”

“Merchants often think the other business owners are their competition. But if every shop in your street went broke, and you were the last one standing, you would not be making more money. Your success is intimately tied to the success of every other business in the street. If all the merchants work together in creating a memorable experience for the visitors to your street, you all benefit.”

David Engwicht of Creative Communities