In the lead-up to the budget in October and the preparation of a national high streets strategy, the conversation about high street/town centre renewal seems focused on funding and what will come from the UK government. Already announced is a £210m fund primarily aimed at bringing...
On a recent project in a Hertfordshire village, we wanted to give people more reasons to visit the high street.What struck our director, Diane, on a visit was that while there were parks scattered around the village, there was nothing on the high street to...
Seaside or coastal towns have been on the agenda in recent weeks with events such as the Seaside Heritage Symposium highlighting the challenges and opportunities. Here, The Assembly Line founder Diane Cunningham shares some of the conversations and her thoughts. Coastal Town or Seaside Town?The first...
How do you stop heritage buildings from sitting empty and unused?This was the theme for The Architectural Heritage Fund at 50 event, which The Assembly Line founder Diane Cunningham went along to last month.Here she shares the key takeaways and the ingredients for successfully bringing...
On a recent trip to Albania, The Assembly Line Founder Diane Cunningham considered what type of city Tirana the capital is and how its future might shape up. Perhaps a bit like Tirana in Albania? There are a few historic buildings, with tall buildings sat between them,...
As the UK government’s plans for a High Streets Strategy progress, The Assembly Line Founder Diane Cunningham reflects on a recent trip to Vienna, what the city is doing well, and what UK neighbourhoods could replicate. Public realm: Greening and free-to-use spacesThe first thing you notice...
Despite the rhetoric about failing high streets, there are places where good work is being done despite challenging conditions. The key to success lies in how partners are brought together, and the high street is managed.Last week, our director Diane, was back in Westminster as...
[Image: Humber Street, Hull]Hull was the only place in the UK to be included in National Geographic's Best of the World 2026 list.As it heads towards the 10-year anniversary from its year as City of Culture (2017), The Heritage Network took a look at what...
What do the night-time economy, the seaside and landlocked town centres have in common?Visiting a raft of events focused on different types of place economies has shown The Assembly Line founder, Diane Cunningham, that there are common challenges running through placemaking and place shaping. And...
[Image: Sloane Square, London with lights in trees year-round] The night time economy is back on the government’s radar, but there is something missing from the current debate, writes The Assembly Line’s Diane Cunningham. Many of our high street projects include an element of night time activity,...