Management Issues

Management issues within a city center can range from improved 'housekeeping', such as street cleaning and refuse collection, to strategic issues such as transport policies and improved visitor management.

Street Cleaning and Refuse Collection

The cleanliness of city streets is one of the most visible measures of how well a city is caring for itself, and the public will tend to measure the quality of the city center based on how well litter and refuse is collected. It is therefore important to achieve a high standard.

In Nottingham (England), the position of Urban Ranger was created to deal with day-to-day maintenance issues including the removal of flyposting and graffiti. Because the Urban Ranger is visible to the public, it has helped to increase the sense that the city is concerned with its upkeep, thereby engendering greater civic pride. The Tidy Britain Group, a voluntary organisation established to promote higher standards of cleanliness, is very active in most cities working in partnership with the Local Authority. This organization can assist in creating new initiatives for improvements to both street cleaning and refuse collection.

Transport and car parking

Due to the increasing level of car ownership and car usage, transport is frequently identified as the most important issue facing a city center. The viability of town and city centers in the future will likely depend on the ease with which visitors can arrive and park at their destination, as well as enjoy a quality pedestrianized environment without the hazards and conflicts associated with moving vehicles. With increasing competition from out-of-town centers, which have good road infrastructure and free parking, if customers' needs are not met, they are likely to 'shop with their feet' to the detriment of town and city centers.

One of the difficulties in dealing with transport and parking is that issues often fall within the jurisdiction of more than one statutory authority, with the result that conflicting policies are in place regarding parking and transport. The City Center Manager can play a role in identifying and encouraging immediate short-term improvements as well as facilitating a dialogue regarding longer term strategic goals and objectives.

There are also extremely diverse demands for parking and transport made by retailers, environmentalists and the local authority. Retailers want inexpensive parking close to their establishments, environmentalists will often want parking and transport eliminated from the city center, while the Local Authority, if it owns the parking garages, will want to maximize revenue. Another conflict which often arises is the patrolling, ticketing and towing away of vehicles, which can have a negative impact on the tourist and visitor trade. While there is generally a benefit in removing unnecessary traffic from the city center (i.e. through traffic), it is important to ensure that road closures do not have detrimental effects on other parts of the city. In each of these issues the City Center Manager can encourage improved communication and facilitate a dialogue.

Pedestrianization is often an area of discussion and debate, with many cities in the process of pedestrianizing large portions of their city centers. The decision whether to pedestrianize, or which areas to pedestrianize, needs to be made carefully and with a significant amount of public consultation. For retail areas which are already vibrant and healthy, this can reduce congestion and significantly improve the visitor experience.

Issues which need to be addressed before pedestrianization is undertaken include:

On peripheral streets, where retailing activity is marginal, it is important to carefully weigh the decision to pedestrianize. If a street has few pedestrians, it may be detrimental to commercial trade if vehicular movement is eliminated. The decision to pedestrianize should therefore be based on whether there is a need for additional space for pedestrians to move comfortably.

Parking is a critical factor to a city's viability. There is often a conflict between the desire of shoppers and retailers for affordable and accessible parking, while recognizing the constraint of limited road infrastructure and increasing congestion from car usage. Park & Ride, a system of parking at peripheral locations with frequent public transport into the city center, can significantly reduce the number of cars in the city center. While Park & Ride can be of benefit to shoppers, it is particularly important to encourage its use by office workers who occupy space on a daily basis. This will then free space for casual shoppers and short stay visitors, who may be less willing to visit if adequate parking is not provided. To meet the needs of visitors and shoppers who are unwilling to leave their cars at outlying, peripheral locations, car parks can be provided which are not necessarily in the city center but within walking distance (Park & Walk). This can reduce traffic in the city center while allowing people to have immediate access to their cars.

There are a number of different systems for paying for car parking. With car parks, there are advantages in payment on exit schemes, as opposed to Pay & Display. With Pay & Display, customers must decide in advance how long they plan to stay, which can result in their visit being curtailed. It also encourages theft from vehicles as cars clearly display how long their owners will be away. Car parks which limit a visitor's stay to 2-3 hours can reduce the length of stay and the amount of money spent in the city center, In relation to on-street parking, a Pay & Display system has significant advantages over a card parking system, since a card parking system requires visitors to locate a shop which sells cards and frequently limits the length of stay.

It is important that visitors are able to locate long-term car parking easily, including the location and number of spaces in car parks. In some cities, electronic signs at the entrance to the city center identify how many spaces are available in each car park as well as direct people to the location of the nearest car park with spaces available. The quality and safety of car parks are equally important to attracting visitors, particularly as the majority of shoppers are women and safety is a prime area of concern. Measures to improve car parks include installing quality lighting, clearly identifiing levels (by colour and forms or shapes), providing planting and greenery, and installing closed circuit television cameras (CCTV).

Visitor Management

Visitor management is an important element of any city center strategy or action plan, particularly for cities where visitors are an important component of the economy. These measures can result in the average visit being lengthened as well as the economic viability of certain areas of the city being enhanced. While visitors may find the main shopping area where the majority of national retailers are located, they can become discouraged if the shops look identical to those in any other city. By improving the quality of streets where small unique independent shops are located, a more interesting and diverse mix of retail shops can be provided for residents and visitors to enjoy, as well as new businesses supported.

Signposting can help to indicate the location of visitor attractions, One form of signposting, known as town trails, can facilitate this process by providing a route through the city (either with signposts or paving stones) which visitors can follow. A brochure can be made available as well which provides further information on each point of interest. Another method of encouraging visitor movement is to establish and promote an area for particular types of activity, thereby creating a cluster of uses. For example, an antiques area can be enhanced by providing quality signage at the entrances to that area. An evening entertainment area can be established by encouraging the development of restaurants, cafes, theatre, clubs and quality physical spaces, such as fountains and sculptures. The creation of clusters helps to establish a critical mass of activity, which in turn generates greater visitor numbers.

One of the most important aspects of visitor management is to ensure that good quality public conveniences are available, including toilets and baby changing facilities. These facilities should ideally be located within close proximity to where the majority of people are located, to minimise any inconvenience to the visitor.

Access For the Disabled

Cities are actively identifying how they can better meet the needs of disabled people. This often includes improved pavement access, as well as access into retail shops, public toilets and parking facilities. Wheelchairs or motorised vehicles provided in the city center, often referred to as shop mobility, allow disabled people greater mobility in the city. The percentage of the population who will benefit from such schemes is expected to increase as the population grows older.

Customer Care

The importance of customer care programmes is growing as people's expectations increase for good quality service and with the realisation that cities need to maintain their competitive edge. A coordinated approach to customer care is necessary to ensure that all available resources, including those available at nearby colleges and universities, are utilised. The British Investors in People programme designed by the Department of Trade and Industry provides a benchmark of good practice, ensuring that training is geared to a company's objectives and that staff are competent to meet those objectives.

Security issues

Issues related to security are some of the most serious facing retailers, with the retail sector losing substantial amounts annually from theft, burglary, and ram raiding. Measures which have been established to act as a deterrent include:

Street Entertainment

Street entertainment can increase the liveliness and enjoyment of the city center and enhance the visitor experience. While it can be a major asset to a city, it is necessary to manage conflicts between street entertainers and residents and office workers. In the city of Bath (in England), a Buskers' Code of Practice was created in consultation with entertainers and the police in order to minimise these conflicts. The code stipulates hours of operation (i.e. not after 10 p.m. in the evening), requires buskers to move location every hour, and prohibits amplified music and drums. This has proven effective in assisting the police and local authorities in regulating street activity.

Environmental Issues

Many cities have extensive programmes to encourage improved environmental practices such as energy conservation and recycling programmes. Increasing traffic congestion can create serious air pollution problems which affect the health of those living and working in the city as well as the restoration of buildings. The City center Manager can give encouragement and support to these schemes.

Begging Issues

Begging can be a volatile and emotive issue, with people expressing strong views for and against allowing begging in the city center. For cities which depend on tourism, begging can have a negative impact on the city's image. Aggressive begging (defined as harassing or threatening behaviour) requires active involvement on the part of the police. A pro-active measure which has been found to reduce begging, and which has been implemented throughout most of the UK, is the development of the Big Issue, a newspaper sold by the homeless. This has been shown to provide a small income for vendors, reduce the number of people begging and assist in increasing the self-esteem and self-worth of those selling the magazine. It is hoped that other similar types of initiatives could be established to help homeless people who might otherwise beg. City center development physical improvements and new developments which are strategically placed are important to the viability of a city center and require a strategic approach. Two areas of particular significance are:

Urband Design and Public Places

Public spaces in cities can be a focal point for activity and a meeting place for people. They deserve a high degree of consideration in determining how people use these spaces and the unique contribution each space can make to the city center. For example, public spaces can reflect the life of the city through fountains, sculptures and other forms of public art. They can also provide a means for the public to contribute their ideas and take greater ownership of the city. Often physical improvements are undertaken in a piecemeal fashion, without a strategic plan identifying which spaces will have the greatest influence on people's enjoyment of the city center as well as the potential for future investment. Public money spent on physical spaces should be leveraged to create the maximum output in terms of new investment and jobs.

The City Center Manager can act as a catalyst in coordinating people and resources, bringing together such diverse professionals as conservationists, urban designers and property experts and engineering services, and assisting in creating a comprehensive approach to the city's physical development. A coordinated approach can then be established on the future development of public spaces, street furniture (seating, litter bins etc.) and paving policies. The result can be increased investment in the city, including new developments such as offices and housing, as well as the sponsorship of amenities and public art by the private sector.

 

Articles under this City Center Management topic have been lifted from Chapter 10- City Center Management by Kimberly Paumier, from the book: Investigating Town Planning- Changing Perspectives and Agendas, edited by Clara Greed.