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Leisure, Property, and the Viability of Town Centres

Author

Listed:
  • Neil Ravenscroft

    (School of Management Studies for the Service Sector, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 5XH, Surrey, England)

  • Jo Reeves

    (Department of Law, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AW, England)

  • Martha Rowley

    (Performance Management Group (C2), BG International, 100 Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading RG6 1PT, England)

Abstract

Much has been written about the positive benefits associated with the growth in town centres of leisure enterprises, particularly those associated with the ‘evening economy’. Coinciding as it has with concerns about the future viability of many of these centres, the promotion of leisure and tourism businesses—and the concomitant conversion of property—has become a core strategy for many local authorities and town-centre managers. Informed by the work of Sharon Zukin, the authors argue that, rather than reflecting the increasing strength of urban areas, the opposite may be the case, particularly in smaller provincial towns. Using case-study data, the authors show that, rather than compete for space, most new leisure businesses employ opportunist strategies, colonising areas no longer required by other occupiers—whether retail, commercial, or industrial. As a result, they argue, the emergence of concentrations of leisure-based property occupiers in town centres signals little more than a delay in the economic restructuring of the area.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Ravenscroft & Jo Reeves & Martha Rowley, 2000. "Leisure, Property, and the Viability of Town Centres," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 32(8), pages 1359-1374, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:32:y:2000:i:8:p:1359-1374
    DOI: 10.1068/a32221
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    Cited by:

    1. Rosemary D. F. Bromley & Andrew R. Tallon & Colin J. Thomas, 2005. "City Centre Regeneration through Residential Development: Contributing to Sustainability," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(13), pages 2407-2429, December.
    2. pedro Porfirio Coutinho GUIMARAES, 2016. "From Liberal To Restrictiveness: An Overview Of 25 Years Of Retail Planning In England," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(2), pages 24-38, May.

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