A focus on international trends

With the exception of the UK, German respondents would like to see fully pedestrianised town centres more than any other country surveyed. Conversely, 43% also want no restrictions on car access, which shows a real divide in opinions. Breaking down responses further shows that older generations were more in favour of pedestrianisation than younger generations.

This divide is emphasised by the fact that, other than those from the Netherlands, respondents from Germany were the least concerned about the amount of traffic in towns and city centres – only 36% are very concerned. Town and city leaders in Germany could therefore face rival opinions if pedestrianisation is considered as an option to decrease pollution and increase sustainability.

In a nod to investment in town and city centre facilities, Germany appeared to be doing better than other countries when it comes to disabled access. More than half (55%) agree that their nearest town and city centres are lacking in sufficient accessibility options. An additional 45% of respondents who indicated that there is still work to be done.

In 2018 Berlin issued a Mobility Act, which aids cyclists in a number of ways including redesigning dangerous junctions. The Act also set targets for sustainable transport adoption and key measures include requirements for extra space for bicycles in new rail vehicles, linking consents for new property development to public transport provision and trialling of flexible transport options in places which are less busy or at times when demand is lower.

Then in early 2022 Berlin passed an amendment to the Mobility Act to elevate the status of pedestrians and to also make travel easier for wheelchair users and the visually impaired. New provisions in the amendment include longer green lights for pedestrians crossing, lower curbs to help wheelchair users and a tougher approach to illegal parking or reckless driving.

Respondents from France were the least likely to indicate that investing in towns and cities should be a priority for the Government. Only 34% believed it should be its priority.

Instead, 82% of respondents indicated that it should be a priority for local authorities, which reflects how towns and cities are managed in France. The Hexagone, unlike the UK, already devolves many functions to regional authorities including economic and social development and regional planning.

French respondents were the least likely to expect their town and city centres to look different in five years’ time. Only 69% agreed with this statement, compared to 87% of those from the UK and 93% of those from the UAE.

Whether or not they believe the ideal town or city centre of the future will be delivered, French respondents indicated similar desires as did respondents from the UK. 85% of respondents seek more open spaces, while 84% also want to find more healthcare facilities.

French respondents were less interested in an increase in retail than respondents from other countries. They were least likely to visit a town or city centre for fashion shopping post-pandemic but were second only to the Netherlands in visiting for a parcel pick-up point or quick delivery service. Online retail has a strong hold on consumers.

As with other countries, a desire for more office space was low down on the list of priorities. More than half (55%) indicated that they would like the amount of office space to decrease. This could reflect how more people are working from home post-pandemic, as in other countries, so visit a town or city for other reasons, as well as office work.

This corresponds with the fact that house prices in rural and coastal France have risen much more rapidly than in city centres. The FNSafer Association, which manages France’s rural property market, said rural house sales in 2020 were up 6.6% in a year. For many people, remote working and online retail are here to stay.

Respondents in the Netherlands indicated that they are more likely to visit for shopping, leisure and collecting parcels.

This could be down to their proximity to town and city centres. Adults in the Netherlands have a faster access to the centres than any other countries, taking on average only 11.6 minutes to get there. They also spend more time there per visit.

This relatively high use of town and city centres corresponds to the low level of concern respondents have about their town and city centres. When presented with a list of concerns, respondents selected “not concerned” more than all other countries.

The increasing focus on a sustainable recovery that includes everyone could be the reason why people from the Netherlands have fewer concerns about town and city centres than other countries.

In April 2020, Amsterdam’s city government announced it would recover from the pandemic by implementing “doughnut economics”, a system laid out by British economist Kate Raworth in 2017. The initial theory was created to tackle climate breakdown, but also focuses on ensuring everyone has access to a good quality of life. Amsterdam is introducing infrastructure projects and employment schemes, with a focus on creating a better and sustainable built environment.

Raworth, when explaining Doughnut Economics to CNBC in March 2021, talked about how it could increase pride of place people might feel for their town and city. Increasing “pride of place” has been highlighted in the UK government’s Levelling Up White Paper as a key goal; perhaps lessons could be learned from the Netherlands.

Respondents from Spain visit their town and city centres much more frequently than those from other countries. 21% said they visit daily, more than anywhere else.

They are most likely to visit to go shopping, either for groceries or fashion. However, 47% said they would visit for nightlife and restaurants, more than in any other country. This was closely followed by leisure and open spaces.

Despite this comparatively high level of use, Spanish adults have a lot of concerns about their town and city centres. 58% said they were very concerned with the number of empty shops, 63% with the decrease in local independent stores and 69% with pollution, all more than in any of the other countries surveyed.

Spain was one of the hardest hit countries during the financial crisis of 2008, and unemployment rate peaked at 26% in 2013, according to Statista. Though the country has recovered, many towns and cities were left with vacant retail, a challenge exacerbated by the rise in online retail during the pandemic.

Spain’s focus on renewing its town and city centres is evidenced by the organisation of the first Spain Urban Forum, which was held in October 2021.

Opened by the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, it addressed the topic “cities and territories in the social and economic recovery”, with measures including the housing rehabilitation.

Spain’s recovery and resilience plan consists of 112 investments and more than 100 reforms, with the support of EUR 69.5bn in grants spent in large part on climate objectives and digital transition.

Shipra Narang Suri, Chief of the Urban Practices Branch of UN-Habitat which jointly organised the event, said in a keynote speech: “The pandemic is an historic opportunity to build back better. The model that we were having does not work anymore, especially for the most vulnerable.”

Given the high use of town and city centres by our respondents, as well as the high level of concerns, any work to build back better will be welcomed.

Compared to respondents from other countries, Singaporeans were more likely to consider the Government to be best positioned to lead the revival of town and city centres. 78% selected this option, closely followed by respondents in UAE.

The picture is similar when considering who should be responsible for maintaining town and city centres.

Public transport is clearly a concern for Singaporeans. When asked what form of spending by the Government will have greatest long-term impact for local real estate, those from Singapore most often selected transport (69%), again closely followed by those from UAE.

When asked how Singaporeans travel to a town or city centre, they were far less likely to select car than respondents from any other country – only 31%, compared to 54% from Spain, the next least likely, and 67% from UAE, the most likely.

It is therefore unsurprising that those from Singapore see “more public transport links” as an appealing feature to encourage more visits than anywhere else.

In 2019, the Singapore Government published its Land Transport Master Plan 2040, with the intention of creating a “45-minute city” with “20-minute towns” by 2040. It includes details of an expanded rail plan and cycle path network.

It’s not only for ease of travel that Singaporeans would like to see more investment in public transport. They would also like this to improve sustainability. When asked how concerned they were about factors affecting town and city centres, 57% of those from Singapore said they were very concerned with pollution.

Respondents from the UAE are the only group more likely to visit a town or city centre to access office space than those from Singapore. This desire for offices in town and city centres is clearly growing: 82% said they would like to see an increase in office space in the future, significantly higher than anywhere else.

Turning to how people get to town and city centres, respondents from UAE have a greater reliance on cars those from other countries surveyed. Two out of three people (67%) drive to town/city centres.

For those who answered the survey, this is having a negative impact. 68% said they were very concerned about pollution and 60% were very concerned with the amount of traffic, more than anywhere else.