In an age of city-centric regeneration, satellite towns are often playing catch-up in terms of attracting investment, creating cultural capital, and realising strategic plans.
In the aftermath of the 2008 recession, Stockport held the unwanted claim to fame as having the highest vacancy rate of all large town centres in the country.
Join us at Profolk in Stockport, where we will welcome the following speakers to look at different aspects of how Stockport and other similar areas have been reviving their town centres, including through accessibility of services, event-led regeneration, and unlocking heritage sites.
Dr Caglar Koksal and Florence Hewett will speak about their findings from a recent review of literature on 20-minute cities, along with their subsequent research project to map services and facilities in two boroughs of Greater Manchester. Caglar is a lecturer in planning at the University of Manchester. Florence is a planning consultant at Enzygo, as well as working as a freelance researcher with Dr Koksal.
Joe Barratt’s grassroots initiatives include co-founding the Teenage Market and Screen Stockport, and coordinating Foodie Friday. Joe now works as a Junior Fellow at the Institute for Place Management and the Expert Co-ordinator for the High Streets Task Force.
Paul Kelsall is co-founder and Director of Kelsall Architects based in Stockport. The practice uses innovative, sustainable and joyful architecture as an agent for positive change, as exemplified by their work on Stockport’s Underbanks and Market Place regeneration.
After the seminar, we’ll step out of Profolk into Stockport Old Town for a brief walking tour, finishing directly in the midst of Stockport’s own example of event-led regeneration, Foodie Friday (which runs until 21.00), for networking. (Note: the ticket price does not include any food/drink at Foodie Friday. Tea/coffee/water will be provided during the seminar at Profolk.)
The event will be chaired and introduced by Ian Pennington, who is the Chair of the RTPI North West Young Planners and a Senior Infrastructure Planner at WSP. If you’d like to join for networking but can’t attend the seminar, then please contact [email protected].
[Photo above by Kelsall Architects]
