Latest Projects
Measuring the Impact of Culture Led Events
This study will help the ATCM,s Culture-led Urban Revitalisation (CUR) transnational project partnership to establish the usefulness of a set of prototype key performance indicators we intend to pilot in events across the UK, Italy and Spain with funding from the European Commission. The aim of these indicators is to develop a pan-European methodology for the evaluation and monitoring of culture-led events using a framework of four broad areas, namely:
- Economic
- Brand, image and profile
- Social
- Environment
We are currently undertaking a survey on these indicators. We would like to ask you to be honest in your answers but not dwell on each indicator too much time. The document will also allow you to suggest indicators of your own that is not currently part of our list.
Please download the draft indicators survey here
Tool Kit for Town Centres: 100 ways to help the high street
Times have been tough. Banks have taken a knock, credit availability has diminished and the public debt has soared. The recession has had many negative affects but for most people it is the impact at a grassroots level which is felt most. There are few environments to which this is more applicable than our town centres.
This is why the Association of Town Centre Management is joining forces with the Improvement and Development Agency and National Skills Academy for Retail to search for 100 schemes the UK’s Town Centre Managers should know about which can help high streets onto the road to recovery.
These initiatives do not have to be intricate or complicated; simplicity and effectiveness are valued assets. You do not have to be a Town Centre Manager, local government official or trader to contribute, any consumers of town centres are equally encouraged to get involved. We only ask that suggestions are tried & tested and are practical enough for town centres to implement relying only on the help of local partnerships.
The 100 most effective initiatives will be compiled into a report ‘tool-kit’. This tool-kit will be made available to all Town Centre Managers, Local Authority Economic Development Officers, Regional Development Agencies, Chambers of Commerce, the retail industry, policy makers and will be freely available on-line.
To contribute to the survey please click here.
For more information please contact Ojay McDonald on 0161 247 3982 or on Ojay.McDonald@atcm.org
ATCM Launches Business Crime Initiative (BCI) The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) is pleased to announce the launch of a new national initiative in partnership with Empowering Communities to support local business crime reduction partnerships. Business Crime Initiative (BCI) will share information and experiences across the UK and set standards recognised through accreditation that will ensure local partnerships adopt the best approach.
Whether you are looking to ensure your operating standards are up to date or you want to create or develop an effective partnership structure and management process, you will benefit from BCI membership. If you join now your first year membership fee includes the cost of applying for BCI partnership accreditation. As well as direct benefits to you, we have designed BCI to ensure your collective voice is heard by policy makers, business groups and the media.
Visit http://www.bciuk.org/ for more information.
Measuring Performance
Milestone is an online performance measurement and benchmarking service for town and city centres. A collaboration between the ATCM and Springboard, Milestone is a subscription based service available for ATCM practitioner members. Incorporating a range of key performance indicators that are recognised as being central to town centre performance, Milestone will enable town and city centre managers to evaluate their performance by providing a range of online reports:
- Town Profile Report - profiling the town on the basis of economic profile and trends, property trends, consumer demand and centre provision and quality.
- Benchmarking Report - comparing the town against national, regional and peer group averages.
- Similarity Report - identifying the town's peer group, its similarity to the group, and its ranking.
- Scenario Report - understanding the impact of a change in any combination of KPI's on a town's peer group and ranking.
Currently in development, the aim is for Milestone to be available to ATCM town members by Spring 2010.
Street Operations Group
If you are a manager who has responsibility for activity on our streets, and in our towns and cities you will constantly be required/need to find new ways of improving the quality of the environment and make residents feel important, engaged and involved.
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TOWARDS A STREET ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PLAN In 2009 we established a special interest group within the ATCM, the Street Operations Group. This is for those with a direct interest on what happens on the street scene. This would include street trading, enforcement, begging, A Boards… the list is very long! A theme that is coming through strongly is that of the need for a comprehensive management plan for on street activity. In a consultation with the group at the Birmingham meeting you told us towns should, Create a managed system for street activity – chuggers, pedlars, market researchers, street traders, faith groups etc We have two further meetings planned:
We would now take this idea forward and use the Street Ops Group as a sounding board to put together guidance notes for a comprehensive local Street Activity Management Plan. In order to do this I would like to use these meetings as workshops to: a) Identify the key items that need to go into a Management Plan (graffiti, A Boards, Chuggers, fly posting, pedlars etc. in Stockport. b) Through the summer research existing powers, identify case studies etc so that we can draft a pragmatic Street Activity Management Plan Guidance. c) Bring this back to the group for checking and comment in September. ATCM Membership is not a condition of attending, but it would be of great help. See http://www.atcm.org/membership-benefits/index.php
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If you would like to attend either, or both events please email rochelle.hart@atcm.org to reserve a place. There is no cost. |
New BIDs Academy in association with emda
The East Midlands Regional Development Agency (emda) is funding a second Academy for Business Improvement Districts for their region in association with ATCM. The Partnership Development and BIDs Academy will commence in 2009, supporting up to 12 East Midland town centres in their partnership and BID development.
The ATCM delivered this first Academy in partnership with The Mosaic Partnership who specialise in practice based support and products for town centres and BIDs. This highly successful one year pilot demonstrated the value of the Academy with 5 locations securing a BID and a further 3 towns currently developing a BID. The second Academy will focus on locations that have not previously been able to access the skills and resources to support them in developing their partnership to secure wider businesses engagement and establish income generating programmes. The ATCM will project manage the Academy, ensuring that the experiences are shared throughout the UK and The Mosaic Partnership will provide the practical support, advice, guidance and expertise to the town centres. See the UKBIDs website for more details.
The MANDIE Project: Managing District Centres in North West Europe
MANDIE is an INTERREG IVB NWE programme that explores the management of district centres in North West Europe, focusing on key themes; governance, marketing and retail. The project involves project partners from the UK, Germany and Belgium led by Stuttgart City Council: Business Development Department.
Project objectives, in summary, are;
1. To strengthen the attractiveness and performance of cities, towns, rural areas and regions through joint actions that will encourage sustainable economic activity and social cohesion.
2. To promote transnational actions that will enhance the economic and social performance of cities, towns and rural areas; including the economic potential of local and regional assets.
The ATCM's role within the MANDIE project is to act as a support partner on the Scientific Advisory Board. The ATCM have agreed to deliver a range of research activities, including; a comparative analysis of district centres, create a job profile for district centres mangers (DCM), contribute towards modules of study in DCM, and aid dissemination of project findings through ATCM and its partners' networks.
ATCM will also provide best practice advice for the towns & cities involved (Antwerp, Oldham, Frankfurt, Eindhoven, Bury, Hagen and Stuttgart), help them to share knowledge, and implement innovative place management concepts in their own areas.
If you interested in the project and would like more information, please contact Daniel McGrath at daniel.mcgrath@atcm.org or on +44 (0)161 247 6041.
Financing the Management & Maintenance of Public Spaces
The ATCM completed a major piece of research on behalf of Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast early in 2008 which examined the financing, management and maintenance of public spaces with a particular focus on civic spaces. All too often major investments are made without a clear line of responsibility for ongoing maintenance and its costs.
The report produced from this project notes that, potentially there are major untapped opportunities for revenue generation from civic space to fund management and maintenance. It goes on to provide a range innovative finance arrangements and management structures that could help maintain quality public spaces quality to a high in towns and cities. Management structures and funding solutions involving the private sector, asset transfers and drawing an income from civic space is explored. This research will help towns and cities that employ such measures for sustainable management and maintenance of the region's public spaces.
This research offers an excellent opportunity to showcase and learn from best practice regionally, nationally and internationally. It provides practitioners a chance to explore innovative solutions to create quality public realm in the UK. The report provides much greater detail download here http://www.atcm.org/mfiles/files/471-oneneexecreportLR.pdf or for more information contact Toyubur Rahman at toyubur.rahman@atcm.org .
Light Night
Light Night is a national programme of events covering the whole of the UK supported by ATCM. In 2009 six major cities will offer their residents and visitors the opportunity to experience their city from a fresh perspective. It is a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate the city, focusing on their shared culture, history and identity.
For one night the city 'stays up' so that its attractions and symbols are seen in a new light. The spectators get to see the unusual in a familiar environment, to 'lose themselves' in the city, which is transformed into a stage for the night. Light Night is the best showcase for gaining wide public interest and participation so that people buy into their city in a short amount of time. A key element of the programme in each city is that all events are FREE.
Every artist or community group invited to participate puts into play all of their creativity in order to devise one innovative and high quality performance for a local audience.
Light Night is created in order to include everyone; motivating people to come into town, by putting on different events, exhibitions and shows from a wide variety of activities that will appeal to many people across the whole community.
Different areas of the city become a theatre for musical and theatrical recitals, exhibitions, concerts, shows, games and performances of all types. The space used could be traditional, like streets, museums, restaurants and bars, galleries, shops, libraries, schools, colleges, universities and other institutions or unusual, like the sky, beach, sea, lakes, rivers etc.
For further information and contact information please see http://www.lightnight.co.uk/
The 5th World Congress for Downtowns and Town Centres is the much anticipated global event in the town, city and place management diary. The event will be held from 16-19 June 2010 at the QEII Conference Centre in London.
World Congress 2010
Co-hosted by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) and the International Downtown Association (IDA), the event will bring together town and city centre management practitioners, Business Improvement District (BID) directors, stakeholders, policy makers and researchers in downtown and town centre development, management and marketing.
Visit http://www.worldcongress2010.org/ for more information.
