A thriving civic high street brings people together and supports a vibrant local economy. Communities are already showing what’s possible, but access to space remains a major barrier. By learning alongside community businesses seeking to unlock high street premises, we’ve identified what needs to change to bring a lively, inclusive civic high street to life.
What if the future of the high street lies not in retail alone but in community ownership, civic participation, and long-term local stewardship? Drawing on a year of learning from our community-led high street innovators programme, Practice and Innovation Manager Kate McKenzie explores how communities across the country are creating a new model of high street renewal – and sets out six recommendations for government to help make the civic high street a reality.
Community-led innovation on the high street: from decline to renewal
Communities are taking back their high streets. This first blog in our mini-series shines a light on the Community-Led High Street Innovators programme and the five community businesses testing new approaches to community-led regeneration.
