Humans are pack animals and urban centres are a hub for interaction, so with a ‘post-COVID’ world looking uncertain, and tiered lockdowns further threatening the vibrancy of our urban centres, our response in terms of high street regeneration is becoming more and more critical.
If the fundamental requirements of our urban centres are to host and sustain these delicate ecosystems of interaction, is their inherent social value uppermost in our thoughts? If it is, where do we now see the opportunities for maximising it through every move we make, as we look to ‘Build Back Better/Greener’ and revive these spaces for the long term? How do we ensure that the delicate balance of society and its role in placemaking is installed for the benefit of our town centres? We bring together panellists Dr William Bird, Intelligent Health; Paul Hanegraaf, Milligan and Shain Shapiro, Sound Diplomacy, Planning Associate and High Streets Task Force Expert, Nicole Roe and Partner Stephen Tucker (chair) to discuss.