MAKING PLACES BETTER

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Introducing Threesixty Urban

SUCCESSFUL & SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES FOR URBAN CENTRES

WHO WE ARE

Threesixty Urban is a dedicated team withinThreesixty Architecture. Our singular focus is on urban regeneration projects, rebalancing urban centres and high streets for the benefit of their communities, visitors and investors. Working with commercial, community and local authority clients, we understand the constantly evolving needs of urban centres and have produced government funded thought leadership reports on the subject.

THE BIG PICTURE

Our urban landscape has shifted beyond recognition. Private landlords, developers, fund managers, community groups and local authority regeneration teams are all directly affected.

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Threesixty Architecture drove a placemaking-led vision underpinned with a solid commercial understanding. Their creativity and engagement convinced the council and gave the project and this part of the city a future.

– Tim Cornford, Partner, Addington Capital

My clients purchase of the Paisley Centre was prompted by Threesixty’s ambitious Vision for Paisley Town Centre 2030 and they plan to bring forward proposals that will help realise the spirit of this Vision.

– Richard ford, Partner Reith Lambert

Alan and the team at Threesixty have a passion for place that is really inspirational.Their work with Revo & STP really gives high streets a framework for creating a credible vision.

– Mark Robinson, Chair, High Streets Task ForceProperty Director and Co- Founder, Ellandi

OUR URBAN CENTRES CAN BE SMARTER, SWEETER, GREENER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL

The migration to online shopping and entertainment continues to compromise the success of retailers and leisure operators. Accelerated by the impact of Covid-19, our retail dominated environments are under immense pressure. Not only is the value of large multi-tenancy assets being eroded, the situation is dissolving the viability of our urban centres; the physical heart and identity of our towns and cities.

EVERYONE’S PROBLEM, EVERYONE’S OPPORTUNITY

Threesixty Urban transforms these challenges into opportunities. Adjusting your mindset from asset management to visionary development is a journey best taken in partnership with a specialist.

We can guide you through the process.

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MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE

18 Steps to Rebalance, Repopulate & Reposition the High Street

To bring transformative change to your town centre, your vision needs to identify and meet the needs of the wider community while responding to the global climate emergency.

From social cohesion and commercial regeneration to carbon reduction, energy conservation and flood resilience, our 18 point manifesto is a guide to creating sustainable urban centres. Implement the right initiatives to regenerate the High Street. Respond to the current and future needs and uses of the local and wider population.

1. CONCENTRATE

Take a deliberately focused approach centred around the High Street. This is the
heart of the town, where we can repurpose and protect a valued legacy of buildings, support an improving local economy and create opportunity.

2. TELL YOUR STORY

Your town needs a clear, unique story and purpose that provide a clarion call and
reason for your transformation. There are many parts to a town’s story that can provide a basis for an authentic narrative. This is not about creating a simple strapline, so just one of these elements will not be enough. The richness of the narrative will come from the blend of a number of these strands, consisting of multiple messages and be chameleon- like, resonating differently with different groups.

3. GO BOLD

While the changing patterns of retail have created new challenges, this shift provides
us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to rebalance our town centres. Repurposing a large single use asset such as a shopping centre can transform a High Street in one bold move; repopulating the heart of the town centre and increasing permeability by breaking down large blocks into new streets and lanes. Now is the time to reintroduce uses that serve the needs of our whole communities.

4. CONSOLIDATE

Reduce retail to the right level for a re-energised and diversified High Street with
the right sized (smaller) units supporting the increasing trend for independent, artisanal traders. Relocate to street edges and concentrate offer; don’t bury it deep in the urban block.

5. REPOPULATE

Introduce significant levels of urban living to the Town Centre. Create mixed use blocks
with a variety of tenures (private for sale, affordable, social housing, student, elderly – supported / sheltered). Bring life back to upper levels over retail space through residential conversion.

6. ATTRACT

Social and cultural attractors are a major catalyst for positive change and offer
important opportunities to drive more visits into your town centre. From community and civic destinations, to cultural centres, cinemas and European style food halls, these uses can bring new life to old cherished buildings. Look to work with existing institutions and community groups to bring new galleries, museums and performance spaces to the heart of the High street.

7. CREATE WORKPLACE

Reintroducing residential to town centres on its own could lead to areas devoid of life
and activity during working hours. The way we work is changing. Introduce workspaces that create vibrancy during the day while offering flexible working and healthy live / work balance. With a new imperative to work from home accelerated by Covid-19, there is a greater need for local shared workspace in well-connected towns to bridge between home and city centre.

8. SHIFT PERCEPTIONS

Open up lanes and views that dramatically change how people remember the town
In turn, provide greater connectivity, permeability and new ways to navigate through our urban centres, enriching the experience and how we emotionally connect to our environment.

9. REPLACE TO REPAIR

Take the opportunity provided by repurposing and rebalancing to upgrade
or replace buildings that offer nothing to the urban environment. Many of our town centres benefit from a legacy of quality historic buildings and these new interventions should be of a contemporary architecture that matches them in quality and ambition.

10. REGENERATE

Re-energise the centre by providing urban places that enrich day-to-day life and
accommodate events attracting local residents and visitors from outside the town. These external ‘rooms’ should encourage vibrant, year-round use. Provide “place not just space” with active edges, human scaled enclosure, and greening for play and wellbeing. Enhance these places with degrees of shelter to allow all weather use, safe gathering and social distancing when required.

11. ILLUMINATE

Public art and dynamic lighting can transform the existing environment for a
relatively small outlay. Lighting, in particular, can create a variety of effects to suit the season or event, celebrate rich historic facades and elevate the everyday.

12. GATHER

Re-energise the centre by providing urban places that enrich day-to-day life and
accommodate events attracting local residents and visitors from outside the town. These external ‘rooms’ should encourage vibrant, year-round use. Provide “place not just space” with active edges, human scaled enclosure, and greening for play and wellbeing. Enhance these places with degrees of shelter to allow all weather use, safe gathering and social distancing when required.

13. INCLUDE & INVITE

Make your High Street accessible for all regardless of age or ability accommodating
those with issues of dementia or mobility and providing pause points throughout. Offering welfare facilities accessible for all can have a significant impact on the footfall and dwell time of our high streets.

14. CONNECT

Introduce safe walking and cycle routes and connect the wider community to their
centre better with environmentally friendly public transport. This will reduce car journeys, promote health and well-being as well as rebalancing inequality for low car ownership groups.

15. REVIVE

Repopulate and re-energise your town centre to be safer and more welcoming
Increase activity and passive surveillance from new residents, workers and a vibrant and sustainable evening economy. These shifts will require changes to historical planning law use class and licensing restrictions to bring life to “dead zones” in your urban centre.

16. EDUCATE

Encourage established education providers and community groups to take space on
the High Street. Beyond conventional institutions, life-long learning encourages people from all walks of life to learn new skills and meet new people, creating a sense of empowerment, increasing wellbeing and combatting digital poverty.

17. LOCATE SERVICES CENTRALLY

Key institutions such as education providers, health and civic establishments can be
fantastic assets for a town centre. They offer essential accessible services right at the heart of the community, enhancing town centre vibrancy and greatly increasing footfall. For public funded developments, reinforce a responsibility and mutually beneficial opportunities, to locate these assets and services centrally.

18. MEANWHILE…

Transformation takes time and not all proposals will be delivered in the short
term. Where a building or site is vacant , encourage ‘meanwhile’ uses that benefit the wider community, either through the creation of public space or temporary occupation for curated retail, commercial or cultural use.

1. CONCENTRATE

Take a deliberately focused approach centred around the High Street. This is the heart of the town, where we can repurpose and protect a valued legacy of buildings, support an improving local economy and create opportunity.

2. TELL YOUR STORY

Your town needs a clear, unique story and purpose that provide a clarion call and reason for your transformation. There are many parts to a town’s story that can provide a basis for an authentic narrative. This is not about creating a simple strapline, so just one of these elements will not be enough. The richness of the narrative will come from the blend of a number of these strands, consisting of multiple messages and be chameleon- like, resonating differently with different groups.

3. GO BOLD

While the changing patterns of retail have created new challenges, this shift provides us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to rebalance our town centres. Repurposing a large single use asset such as a shopping centre can transform a High Street in one bold move; repopulating the heart of the town centre and increasing permeability by breaking down large blocks into new streets and lanes. Now is the time to reintroduce uses that serve the needs of our whole communities.

4. CONSOLIDATE

Reduce retail to the right level for a re-energised and diversified High Street with the right sized (smaller) units supporting the increasing trend for independent, artisanal traders. Relocate to street edges and concentrate offer; don’t bury it deep in the urban block.

5. REPOPULATE

Introduce significant levels of urban living to the Town Centre. Create mixed use blocks with a variety of tenures (private for sale, affordable, social housing, student, elderly – supported / sheltered). Bring life back to upper levels over retail space through residential conversion.

6. ATTRACT

Social and cultural attractors are a major catalyst for positive change and offer important opportunities to drive more visits into your town centre. From community and civic destinations, to cultural centres, cinemas and European style food halls, these uses can bring new life to old cherished buildings. Look to work with existing institutions and community groups to bring new galleries, museums and performance spaces to the heart of the High street.

7. CREATE WORKPLACE

Reintroducing residential to town centres on its own could lead to areas devoid of life and activity during working hours. The way we work is changing. Introduce workspaces that create vibrancy during the day while offering flexible working and healthy live / work balance. With a new imperative to work from home accelerated by Covid-19, there is a greater need for local shared workspace in well-connected towns to bridge between home and city centre.

8. SHIFT PERCEPTIONS

Open up lanes and views that dramatically change how people remember the town. In turn, provide greater connectivity, permeability and new ways to navigate through our urban centres, enriching the experience and how we emotionally connect to our environment.

9. REPLACE TO REPAIR

Take the opportunity provided by repurposing and rebalancing to upgrade or replace buildings that offer nothing to the urban environment. Many of our town centres benefit from a legacy of quality historic buildings and these new interventions should be of a contemporary architecture that matches them in quality and ambition.

10. REGENERATE

Re-energise the centre by providing urban places that enrich day-to-day life and accommodate events attracting local residents and visitors from outside the town. These external ‘rooms’ should encourage vibrant, year-round use. Provide “place not just space” with active edges, human scaled enclosure, and greening for play and wellbeing. Enhance these places with degrees of shelter to allow all weather use, safe gathering and social distancing when required.

11. ILLUMINATE

Public art and dynamic lighting can transform the existing environment for a relatively small outlay. Lighting, in particular, can create a variety of effects to suit the season or event, celebrate rich historic facades and elevate the everyday.

12. GATHER

Re-energise the centre by providing urban places that enrich day-to-day life and accommodate events attracting local residents and visitors from outside the town. These external ‘rooms’ should encourage vibrant, year-round use. Provide “place not just space” with active edges, human scaled enclosure, and greening for play and wellbeing. Enhance these places with degrees of shelter to allow all weather use, safe gathering and social distancing when required.

13. INCLUDE & INVITE

Re-energise the centre by providing urban places that enrich day-to-day life and accommodate events attracting local residents and visitors from outside the town. These external ‘rooms’ should encourage vibrant, year-round use. Provide “place not just space” with active edges, human scaled enclosure, and greening for play and wellbeing. Enhance these places with degrees of shelter to allow all weather use, safe gathering and social distancing when required.

14. CONNECT

Introduce safe walking and cycle routes and connect the wider community to their centre better with environmentally friendly public transport. This will reduce car journeys, promote health and well-being as well as rebalancing inequality for low car ownership groups.

15. REVIVE

Repopulate and re-energise your town centre to be safer and more welcoming Increase activity and passive surveillance from new residents, workers and a vibrant and sustainable evening economy. These shifts will require changes to historical planning law use class and licensing restrictions to bring life to “dead zones” in your urban centre.

16. EDUCATE

Encourage established education providers and community groups to take space on the High Street. Beyond conventional institutions, life-long learning encourages people from all walks of life to learn new skills and meet new people, creating a sense of empowerment, increasing wellbeing and combatting digital poverty.

17. LOCATE SERVICES CENTRALLY

Key institutions such as education providers, health and civic establishments can be fantastic assets for a town centre. They offer essential accessible services right at the heart of the community, enhancing town centre vibrancy and greatly increasing footfall. For public funded developments, reinforce a responsibility and mutually beneficial opportunities, to locate these assets and services centrally.

18. MEANWHILE…

Transformation takes time and not all proposals will be delivered in the short term. Where a building or site is vacant , encourage ‘meanwhile’ uses that benefit the wider community, either through the creation of public space or temporary occupation for curated retail, commercial or cultural use.

OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH ON
REGENERATION

MAKING PLACES BETTER

Successful & sustainable outcomes for urban centres

Download

A VISION FOR HIGH STREET REGENERATION

(Scottish Government Guidance)

Download

PAISLEY TOWN CENTRE VISION

(Scottish Government pilot project)

Download

THE NEW FOOD HALL MODEL

(Spatial analysis and understanding)

Download

CLYDEBANK TOWN CENTRE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

(A Town With a Heart)

Download
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