What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth

Year of publication: 2014

This briefing from the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth covers the evidence for public realm interventions for improving the local economy. Public realm interventions cover a broad range of activities, from landscaping an existing park or public garden to cleaning up undesired graffiti and street rubbish, or erecting statues and improving pedestrian access to improve a town centre shopping district.

The review finds a lack of evidence around the cause and effect of public realm interventions of all types on local economic growth. Accordingly, the review looks at what underpins this belief, with available evidence suggesting a possible chain of events as a result of improvements that go beyond what conventional logic assumes.

Evidence suggests that making places more attractive might lead to higher housing or business costs and displace existing residents and businesses. Smaller-scale interventions that modestly improve the wellbeing of existing residents are likely to have fewer undesirable or unintended consequences.

Content type: Environment

Tags: Report

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