COMMENT: Across the UK, there is an energetic debate that explores how all our town and city centres can be revitalised. The trigger for the discussion is the decline in retail activity as brands struggle with structural changes affecting how consumers purchase goods.
My view is that higher education institutions remain an untapped sector that should be part of the mix in helping to revitalise struggling centres, and that planning authorities, town/city centre managers, stakeholders and university teams can work together to address the challenges, to the benefit of all.
Stakeholders with long-term interests in securing their town and city centres as attractive and enticing places in which to shop, work, rest and play are all exploring similar themes. These centres are at the forefront of change, as stakeholders all seek a source of dynamism that gives their centre the leading edge in the competitive world of restructuring.
The student pound
In my opinion, towns and cities with large student populations generated by having universities within close proximity have a distinct potential market advantage here. Student populations have long supported urban economies through high levels of convenience expenditure on food and drink. The student culture and economy is a recognised element of many larger cities with long-established links with universities and colleges.
But there is a new dynamic now at play: it is the export of the universities, the colleges and the supporting facilities that are included within conventional campus environments into the hearts of the towns and cities themselves, where they are integrated alongside other more traditional uses.
Some universities are, of course, already city based with substantial urban campuses – LSE and Imperial College in London, for instance – but to date these areas, although normally accessible to the public, tend to be largely used just by students as all the facilities are focused on their needs; there is little impetus for those outside the academic community to visit.
Filling vacant spaces
The opportunity now, however, is to take advantage of the wealth of university support functions – such as theatres, careers services, libraries, counselling support, bookshops, events and conferences facilities, art centres and exhibition space – to fill vacant urban spaces, fully integrating these next to other traditional retail and leisure uses, rather than necessarily clustering them within university enclaves.
Most, if not all, of these supporting and ancillary services can potentially be used by the non-student population if managed correctly, and will help drive footfall and bring life back to empty parts of town.
To do this, town/city centre managers, stakeholders and university teams should look closely at development models that benefit both the town or city centre and the university itself. Integrating the university into the heart of the town will complement already established informal social linkages that underpin conventional notions of student culture, and asset owners of unused property in the centre itself should willingly engage with universities, given that they are largely holders of strong and dependable covenants.
Planning authorities are exploring how to re-energise town and city centres and need a solution that brings back the attraction once held by the retail industry. Universities are often the new custodians of the attraction factor. It’s a win-win for all if city or town centres become the new locations for more of our university campuses.
Jeremy Hinds is a director at Savills
