What Can Town Planners Change?
19 Mar, 2025
How Can Town Planning Ensure The Vitality of Town Centres
05 Mar, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- What the ‘vitality’ of town centres refers to.
- How town planning can ensure the vitality of town centres.
- Why it is important for Town Planners to ensure the vitality of town centres.
- Where the latest town planning jobs are and how to apply for them.
Throughout the UK, Town Planners play an important role in ensuring the vitality of town centres, regardless of their size, demographics and location.
The more money, time and energy that is invested into a town centre, the more a town centre is able to support current residents and attract visitors, both of which are essential for its economic viability.
In our latest blog, we’re exploring how town planning can ensure the vitality of town centres and why it is important to do so.
What does the ‘vitality’ of town centres refer to?
The term ‘vitality’ refers to the ‘state of being strong and active’. Across the UK, the town planning sector must ensure that the work they complete is done with the best interests of local communities at its core. Alongside ensuring that town planning is prioritising sustainable practice, in order to help the UK government reach its net-zero by 2050 target, Town Planners must create communities that are appealing to businesses, residents, shoppers and those visiting.
Indications of town planning that ensures the vitality of town centres include:
- The diversity of businesses and amenities within a town, such as retail, leisure, hospitality and essential service venues.
- How well maintained streets and green spaces are. The frequency of pedestrian friendly spaces also enhance a town's vitality and ensure resident safety.
- The effectiveness of transport links to create accessible connections between amenities.
- The frequency of local events that encourage community engagement such as festivals, charity fundraisers and markets.
The vitality of a town centre is often monitored by local authorities in order to ensure that the economic stability of a town is in check.
How can town planning ensure the vitality of town centres?
There are a number of ways in which the town planning sector can ensure the vitality of town centres, including:
- Enhancing public spaces.
- Promoting local business.
- Investing in smart technology.
- Engaging in green initiatives.
Enhancing public spaces
The town planning sector must work to create safe and aesthetic public spaces within towns across the UK.Town Planners must ensure that decision-making focuses on the wellbeing of residents and that initiatives are implemented to attract visitors.
Town planning recruitment specialist, Josh Draycott, says “Towns that are physically appealing and feel safe to occupy are more likely to attract visitors and retain their current residents and both of these are essential for maintaining the economic success of a local area.”
Transforming declining high streets into vibrant and busy places for businesses and amenities is essential for ensuring the vitality of a town centre.
Whilst effective land use is important, Town Planners must also consider smaller things such as the accessibility of seating areas and the safety of pedestrianised areas to ensure public spaces are optimised.
Promoting local business
The vitality of a town centre can also be enhanced through the support of local businesses. The town planning sector must balance priorities such as sustainability alongside ensuring the economic viability of a town and local businesses are essential for creating successful town centres.
As well as ensuring town centres are economically resilient, the promotion of local businesses can help to enhance diversity, promote social engagement within communities and create places that residents truly care about.
When people are proud of their town centre and its local businesses, this helps to foster a strong community and enhance vitality.
Investing in smart technology
Smart technology plays an important role in enhancing the vitality of a town centre by improving accessibility, engagement and convenience.
For example, Leeds City Councils Smart Leeds initiative aims to deliver innovative services and solutions to improve the lives of citizens through the use of data analytics and smart technology.
Free wifi, cashless payments and the use of augmented reality showcase town centres as modern and innovative, in return enhancing their vitality.
Engaging in green initiatives
Ensuring that town planning decisions are considering the environmental effects and importance of sustainable practice is more important than ever. In order to enhance the vitality of a town and be a good Town Planner, professionals must integrate green infrastructure, green spaces and energy-efficient buildings. Doing so is also an effective way to ensure that town planning is considering future generations.
For example, Sheffield’s ‘Grey to Green’ scheme has transformed the city's concrete areas into ‘green public space that encourages cycling and walking’.
The more invested a town is within its green initiatives, the more local communities will follow and as a result of this, the overall vitality of the area is improved.
Why is it important for Town Planners to ensure the vitality of town centres?
There are a number of reasons as to why Town Planners should ensure the vitality of a town centre. From supporting economic growth to promoting social cohesion, the creation of vibrant, collaborative communities is essential for creating happy places for people to live and work.
Town planning must also ensure that businesses, local amenities, housing and transport are invested in and optimised to their full potential. Preventing the decline of high streets and increase of vacant shops allows towns to stay relevant and attract visitors.
Town planning can also ensure the vitality of a town centre through initiatives that enhance community wellbeing and provide spaces for cultural events and social interaction. Community engagement helps to create trusted connections between residents and can improve their overall experience of living or working in a particular town or city.
Embracing innovation and smart technology to create modern places also demonstrates the commitment of the town planning sector to keep up with advancements in technology and create dynamic and adaptable urban spaces.
Overall, it is essential for town planning to ensure the vitality of town centres in order to enhance the happiness, safety and wellbeing of local communities.
Contact a town planning recruitment specialist
Josh Draycott is a dedicated private sector and local authority Town Planning recruitment specialist with a diverse background in recruitment.
With a strong focus on the planning industry, Josh recruits for a wide range of roles, including Town Planners, Policy Planners, Urban Planners, Development Management Planners and Directors of Planning. His expertise lies in sourcing both interim and permanent talent to meet the planning objectives of his clients.
Planning jobs
If you’re searching for your next town planning job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Town planning recruitment services
As town planning recruitment specialists, we support local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs.
Josh has built long-standing, trusted relationships with numerous local council planning departments, delivering tailored recruitment solutions that address the dynamic and evolving demands of the town planning sector.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, get in touch with Josh Draycott on 01772 954200 to see how we can help.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
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