Key Insights from the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative

A report from the Urban Thinkers Campus Conference synthesises insights from a range of case studies including the High Streets Task Force (HSTF) and work done by IPM, highlighting both the pivotal role of public and private sector collaboration in successful urban regeneration. 

An international collaboration resulted in the International Practices of Place Management through Multi-Sectoral Partnerships report, which provides an in-depth exploration of innovative strategies for managing urban spaces through multisectoral partnership work.

The report represents international recognition of the work done by IPM.

The Urban Thinkers Campus Conference, organised by Georgetown Global Cities Initiative – a designated global research partner of UN Habitat, explored how place management organisations can serve as governance vehicles to create partnerships between public, private, and philanthropic sectors. The following key research questions guided the discussions:

• How do place management organisations create place-based partnerships?
• How do they embrace data, research, and performance management?
• How do they localise the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Why is this report significant for place management researchers and the IPM Professional Network?

This report is significant for place management researchers and the IPM Professional Network as it encapsulates a wealth of knowledge and practical examples that illustrate the widespread adoption of place management principles. It serves as a vital resource for understanding how hyperlocal governance, partnership development, and community involvement can drive successful urban regeneration.

Central to the report is the structured approach to place management, emphasising the ‘4Rs’ framework – Repositioning, Reinventing, Rebranding, and Restructuring – developed by IPM and applied by the HSTF in over 100 town centres and high streets as essential tools for revitalising urban spaces. The report [PDF] commends the High Streets Task Force (HSTF), recognising it as ‘one of the few global experiments in national-level policymaking which targets the capacity development of local place management organizations‘ (p. 7). The HSTF formed one of the conference sessions (available to watch online) with Professor Steve Millington outlining ‘federal support for place-based initiatives’.

Other crucial contributions to the Urban Thinkers Campus Conference include insights from place management practitioners and leaders from local governments, academic institutions, and community organisations worldwide, providing invaluable insights into contemporary place management practices that span from the PlacemakingX Summit in Mexico City to place-based partnerships in deprived areas of New York City, and case studies on Business Improvement Districts in Washington D.C. and the city of Johannesburg in South Africa.

The report's emphasis on the people side of regeneration addresses a critical gap in traditional place management practice, highlighting the importance of social cohesion and community engagement in revitalising urban spaces. The report, by providing international case studies, offers a global perspective on effective place management practices, reinforcing the relevance of IPM's work and approach.

Furthermore, the backing of prominent organisations and thought leaders from the United Kingdom, the US, South Africa, and Qatar enhances the reliability and potential generalisation of the report’s findings, providing a strong foundation for advocating the adoption of similar strategies in various contexts. This international support not only validates the methodologies discussed but also encourages collaboration among place management professionals worldwide.

What are its recommendations?

The report outlines several high-level findings and recommendations that reflect a lot of IPM research and practice on the vitality and viability of town centres.

1. Active Place-Based Management: Urban districts benefit significantly from active local stakeholder engagement, which drives place-based partnership work – a growing but currently underutilised practice in urban planning. Partnership work is essential for fostering inclusive dialogues between local stakeholders, who hold valuable local knowledge, and for empowering businesses and community groups in decision-making processes. This has been further highlighted by the 2024 Annual Research Study on Place Partnerships conducted by HSTF and IPM.
2. Soft Power Integration: Place management should leverage the resources and skills of various grassroots stakeholders, integrating them to enhance the vitality and viability of urban centres, neighbourhoods, and peripheries. In its 2024 State of the Nation Report, IPM has shown that when capacity is developed ‘organically’ and through multisectoral collaboration at the local level, places are more likely to be successfully activated.
3. Achieving SDGs: Place management practices, strengthened by partnership work, are essential for achieving the SDGs, particularly in social welfare and climate change adaptation. Integrating UNSDG guidelines into a place regeneration vision can also enhance the sustainability of place-based partnerships as effective organisational forms for urban renewal (please refer to the 2024 HSTF Best Practice Guide on Place-based Partnership Sustainability).
4. Diverse Practices: Global practices in urban place management are diverse, shaped by unique social, cultural, and governance contexts. Policymakers must broaden their understanding of these approaches and work towards policies that encourage local authorities to prioritise multisectoral partnerships as a key step in ad hoc urban regeneration and levelling-up efforts, as highlighted in this 2024 IPM policy commentary – which discourages top-down, ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy approaches.
5. Strategic Significance: As cities navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution, place management is becoming increasingly crucial for making urban districts competitive and appealing, aligning with contemporary business innovations, resident needs, and consumer trends. This point was recently emphasised in the following IPM 2024 news article.
6. Building Trust: Establishing trust among stakeholders is critical. This requires transparency, accountability, and a candid acknowledgment of what can and cannot be achieved. This has also been further highlighted by the 2024 Annual Research Study on Place Partnerships conducted by HSTF and IPM, and the 2024 Best Practice Guide on Developing Delivery Plans for partnership-led place activation.
7. Agility and Collaboration: Place management organisations must work in an agile and collaborative manner to create places of attraction, creativity, and innovation. Please refer to IPM’s 2024 State of the Nation Report, and the 2024 Annual Research Study on Place Partnerships conducted by HSTF and IPM for further details on how agility and collaboration through partnership work can be leveraged for successful place activation.
8. Capacity Development: There is a need for greater capacity development and professionalisation to meet the global demand for place management activities. This has also been further highlighted by the 2024 Annual Research Study on Place Partnerships conducted by HSTF and IPM, and the 2024 Best Practice Guide on Developing Delivery Plans.
9. Government Role: Governments must critically assess their ability to understand local community needs and develop place-based capacity through partnership work to meet policy goals, as also highlighted in this 2024 IPM policy commentary.
10. Urban Investment Strategies: These strategies must foster a culture of collaboration, new partnerships, and stewardship at the urban place scale, as also highlighted in IPM’s 2024 State of the Nation Report.
11. Supplementing Global Frameworks: Global development frameworks need to be supplemented with international practices associated with urban place management, ultimately enhancing the vitality and resilience of communities worldwide through the achievement of ad hoc quick wins – crucial building blocks for solid implementation of each locale’s long-term visions. This was a key finding of the High Streets Task Force, and the results of our monitoring and evaluation will be published on Gov.uk very soon.

About the author

IPM

Formed in 2006, the Institute of Place Management is the international professional body that supports people committed to developing, managing and making places better.