Town and city centres are extraordinary complex conglomerations of people for whom the buildings and streets and spaces are a framework for life. Every location bears its own unique identity, but they are also dynamic and ever changing, and they are unpredictable. At DLA we are acutely aware that today’s urban activities may change or be gone tomorrow as we ride out political, demographic, technological and economic influences that are beyond control.

The past decade has brought unprecedented challenges for urban centres. Dramatic changes in the way we shop and spend our leisure time mean that businesses must be fleet of foot if they are to capture the consumers’ custom. Centres must be convenient to access but rising public concerns about the detrimental impacts of traffic congestion and poor air quality mean that high environmental standards must be a priority for local decision makers, who increasingly must look to the private sector if they are to secure investment in even the most basic of maintenance programmes.

As planners and urban designers, it is our role to help town and city centres constantly adapt to change and to support their dynamism through flexible plans and simple, viable, robust forms that foster and nurture them as good places where great things can happen. To do this, we work with communities, their representatives, investors and stakeholders to craft bespoke spatial frameworks and regeneration strategies as the basis of resilient places where opportunity can flourish. This booklet provides some examples of our recent work in this field, alongside some legacy projects which continue to stand up to the daily challenges faced by city centres.