Latest Projects

Town Centre Improvements through Sustainable Procurement

This project combines four powerful concepts working together to create a unique approach to effecting town centre and business area improvements through application of sustainable procurement processes, freight reduction, creating private investment and providing bottom line benefits for businesses.

This project will provide expert support to 3 town centre/business area partnerships to help them develop successful Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) whilst working in parallel to demonstrate real cost savings and environmental benefits by adopting sustainable procurement practices and Delivery and Servicing Plans (DSP) principles through collaboration between BID members. An initial estimate carried out by one of the partners of this project (University of Westminster) - based on previous research and work with Transport for London – indicates that a reduction of up to 20% in CO₂ emissions could be attained in each BID location as a result of sustainable procurement initiatives delivered by this project.

Supported by the European Union

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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

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.

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 alex.smith@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 Martin Blackwell at martin.blackwell@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/