New placemaking consultancy launched to help turn around towns.

A new placemaking consultancy has been launched bringing together a rich blend of professional experience in community planning, commercial development, place marketing and high street innovation to meet the challenges facing UK town centres.

Manchester-based Reimagine Place has been launched this week with a mission to energise town plans, increase leadership capacity and build more confidence in regeneration by winning hearts and minds, and actively getting communities involved in shaping their futures.

The founders say they are motivated by a shared passion for raising place ambitions and frustration at the slow pace of levelling up.

“What we’ve found is that levelling up is moving at snail’s pace, projects are stalling and, in many towns, communities are understandably frustrated,” explains director Matt Baker.

“We are helping councils pick up the pace with plans, getting communities involved and supporting towns in adapting to a post-pandemic landscape that’s changed dramatically,” added Emma Forbes who along with Hayden Ferriby and Laura Bell completes the team of directors.

Hayden Ferriby argued that high streets were going through a period of major change and councils could not afford to stand still.

“Too many of Britain’s towns are stagnating and struggling to realise their potential,” he said. “We want to see an urban and rural renaissance in places everywhere and this requires a step change in the speed of delivery. We need smarter decision making and localism on steroids to ensure people feel part of the change instead of change being done to them. 

“We all have experience of delivering change and helping high streets modernise, but by combining our expertise and working with other partners on larger projects, we expect to make a bigger difference and be more ambitious for our towns.”

Reimagine Place are already working on a number of national projects and are looking to support asset managers, councils, developers and architects on schemes ranging from new towns to helping develop new anchors. 

Some of their work includes long-term place development plans, repurposing buildings and securing funding for community infrastructure, market and night-time economy strategies, economic impact assessments, community engagement, community-led development and meanwhile use strategies.

Left to Right: Laura Bell, Matt Baker, Hayden Ferriby, Emma Forbes