High Streets
What we say
The way we shop and access services has changed dramatically.
High street businesses and councils managing the public realm are faced with a choice: to adapt to the digital economy and rising challenges, such as air pollution, or face continued decline of our town centres.
A fresh look at what makes high streets enjoyable places to be is vital.
Our Pedestrian Pound research highlights evidence that by investing in the walking environment we can help to reverse this decline. It shows that shoppers on foot can spend up to six times more than those who arrive by car.
What we want
We continue to believe a focus walking can put high streets at the heart of healthy and economically vibrant communities.
We want to see:
- More emphasis on investing new and improved pedestrian spaces
- Reduction in traffic levels and reallocation of space for new uses
- Better monitoring and evaluation of the impacts economic improvement to build the business case for future improvements.
The Pedestrian Pound
Originally published in 2013 and updated in 2018, The Pedestrian Pound should be of interest to anyone concerned with the future of our high streets and urban centres.
Prepared by independent experts Just Economics, our report has become a much-quoted reference point when making the economic case for investing in better streets.
The new edition expands the evidence and for the first time explores how the digital economy impacts and interacts with the economic viability of high streets as places.
Key findings:
Shoppers on foot can spend up to six times more than those who arrive by car.
Data on streets where the pedestrian experience has been improved shows footfall increasing 20-35%
When streets are regenerated to boost walking, there is a corresponding impact on turnover, property values and rental yields. For well-designed projects, sales can increase by 30% or more when footfall is boosted.
