17 Sep Report: Methodology for revitalising the centres of small cities

This Report is the final report published in August 2018 concluding the City Centre Doctor Project – an Action Planning Network of the URBACT III Programme.

All cities have a centre which historically and functionally brings residents, businesses, services and a range of social activities together. The city centre is often the nexus for the social, economic and cultural development of urban conurbations and their hinterlands.

An active city centre is a key indicator of a healthy city – meaning: a city where there is economic growth, where there are good social services and supports, as well as cultural interaction and programmes. The vitality – the level and range of activity – is hence a good indicator of the viability of the centre to be considered by key stakeholders such as investors and customers as to a city’s attractiveness.

How can a city centre become more active? What are the factors that deflate activity in the city centre? What role do citizens, businesses and institutions play to influence activity in the city centre?

In the case of smaller cities, the challenge is not to overreach in a resource-intensive race, but to unlock local creativity and distinctiveness. In this regard ten small cities from across Europe formed a partnership, the City Centre Doctor Project, to identify challenges to their city centre, analyse perceptions and reality of their centres, share ideas and practices and support each other to develop actions that will strengthen processes to revitalise their city centres.

Their successes and the collective learning and insights over a three-year period is captured in this Report.

The Report was written by the Lead Expert of the City Centre Doctor Project, Wessel Badenhorst.