16Town centres and transport interchanges

There are more than 3,200 town centres in the UK. They are places where we share ideas, buy goods and services, and travel to and from. They are usually places that we have in common with the different cultures and social groups that form our communities, and that help give identity to the neighbourhoods and towns they serve. A successful centre will be a loved and valued resource for many people: a place to meet and have fun in, as well as providing access to goods and services.

Large cities may have many town centres: London has 600 high streets and 40 major town centres. Each is unique, but some shared characteristics suggest how to influence their structure and design:

  • Centres grow because they ...

Get The Design Companion for Planning and Placemaking now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.