Forum Topic

New York superheros, London parades and why zoning works.

I wrote an op-ed piece for the Park+Bridge blog about the high street, independent stores and parades and I thought I'd share it here too: http://tinyurl.com/P-B-on-Parades

Mike Taylor ● 4607d3 Comments

Hear hear to all that.I've also often thought that when there is a fancy new residential/business development, just as (supposedly) a proportion of the flats have to be "affordable", so a proportion of the shop/restaurant spaces should be earmarked for non-chain/small businesses.  Otherwise it's the usual Pret a Manger/Cafe Rouge/Gaucho blah blah blahs.

Olga Sidoryk ● 4606d

Good thinking there - and not surprisingly, I totally agree with you. Store Street in Bloomsbury is a great example of how a redevelopment can have a lively mix of chains (Co-op, Byron, Metro) and indie stores (Treadwell's, Foote's, Cloud 9). And it works really very well.

Mike Taylor ● 4606d

How amazing. I never knew this was the case in America. It makes you wonder why we can't have planning rules along the same lines? And surely a lightly enforced mix of zones is preferable to street after street of chains, kebab shops, estate agents and hairdressers?

David Fawcett ● 4590d