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Changing consumer trends, waves of retail decentralisation, and various socio-economic and environmental shocks have exacerbated the well-recognised challenges of retail-dominant English high streets in recent years. The decline and ‘death’ of the high street has been the subject of many policy responses aiming at transforming high streets as viable multifunctional hubs and local community anchors. However, this vision implies a narrative change of high street viability beyond established economic and property-oriented interpretations, which is presently unclear in conceptual and operational terms. This paper identifies the conceptual ambiguities and tensions evident in English policy and reframes high street viability at the confluence of other ‘loose concepts’ (sustainability, resilience, adaptability, liveability). Through a scoping review, this paper synthesises studies discussing these interrelated concepts, and presents their development since the influential URBED Vital and Viable Town Centres report. We argue that the factors contributing to the interrelated concepts form a joint effort towards achieving high street viability, but can also be distinguished by temporal variations and areas of concentration.

Our critical review of the academic literature suggests that the term ‘viability’ is often used interchangeably with the terms, ‘resilience’ and ‘sustainability’, and specifically in relation to aspects of town centres and High Streets transcends mere economic conceptualizations and indicators. Therefore, broadening the scope of viability - to include the interconnected social (and cultural), technological, environmental, and political aspects - appears a logical course of action.

This report outlines the main findings of the research on the contribution of bookshops to the vitality and viability of high streets in the UK and Ireland. The initial sections of the report summarise some of the main current structural changes facing high streets within towns and cities and explore how the recent pandemic has brought new and additional challenges for our centres. The report also investigates how far a specific retail sub-sector, booksellers, contributes to the top 25 priorities based on IPM’s extensive research and engagement in relation to the vitality and viability of high streets and central places and then analyses the results from both the surveys and detailed interviews.

Many factors affect the vitality and viability of high streets and town centres. Some of the changes we see today are the result of long-term processes, some stretching back decades. The global pandemic brought new and additional challenges, but also provided the spur to reimagine and redefine the high street, not only to manage recovery, but to also prepare and adapt for a more resilient future.

Many factors affect the vitality and viability of high streets and town centres. Some of the changes we see today are long-term processes, some stretching back decades. The global pandemic brought new and additional challenges, but also provided the spur to reimagine and redefine the high street, not only to manage recovery, but to also prepare and adapt for a more resilient future.

This report has been prepared following a workshop held on the 23rd March 2022, attended by key local stakeholders from Cheadle Hulme. Facilitated by the Institute of Place Management at the invitation of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, the event formed part a wider programme of work Stockport is undertaking to revitalise district centres in terms of post-pandemic recovery and long-term viability. This report builds, therefore, on findings collated by IPM to inform the council’s approaches to supporting Stockport’s district centres.

This report has been prepared following a workshop held on the 15th March 2022, attended key local stakeholders from Marple. Facilitated by the Institute of Place Management at the invitation of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, the event formed part a wider programme of work Stockport is undertaking to revitalise district centres in terms of post-pandemic recovery and longterm viability. This report builds, therefore, on findings collated by IPM to inform the council’s approaches to supporting Stockport’s district centres.

This report has been prepared following a workshop held on the 16th of March 2022, attended key local stakeholders from Cheadle. Facilitated by the Institute of Place Management at the invitation of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, the event formed part a wider programme of work Stockport is undertaking to revitalise district centres in terms of post-pandemic recovery and longterm viability. This report builds, therefore, on findings collated by IPM to inform the council’s approach to supporting Stockport’s district centres.

This report has been prepared following a workshop held on the 22nd of March 2022, attended key local stakeholders from Reddish. Facilitated by the Institute of Place Management at the invitation of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, the event formed part a wider programme of work Stockport is undertaking to revitalise district centres in terms of post-pandemic recovery and longterm viability. This report builds, therefore, on findings collated by IPM to inform the council’s approach to supporting Stockport’s district centres.

Footfall is a key indicator of a town centre’s vitality and viability; it tells us much about the nature of high streets, how they are used, and how they are changing. Yet despite its importance, the majority of high streets do not monitor footfall. This is a serious barrier to understanding the situation facing England’s towns as they attempt to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and achieve longer-term transformation. This report examines research based on footfall data from 154 locations in England, provided by Springboard. It also looks at the immediate impact of COVID-19 and the prospects for high street recovery, using mobile phone location and other data in four case study locations (Manchester, Ashford, Cleethorpes and Windsor).

Footfall is a simple indicator that tells us a lot about the nature of high streets, how they are used and how they are changing. It has been a key indicator of a town centre’s vitality and viability since the publication of Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 Town Centres and Retail Development in 1993. From footfall data from Springboard, for around 180 high streets, we have been able to draw a number of conclusions about the annual performance of high streets, during the second year of Task Force operations (from July 2020 to June 2021).

Research from the Institute of Place Management shows that 96% of businesses in English town and city centres need government support in order to navigate COVID-19 and its impact on high streets. This report investigates the resilience of businesses across different sectors on the high street and how they have responded to lockdown measures.