Has the age of the internet killed our high streets? Have our town and city centres become obsolete? How to Save Our Town Centres delves below the surface of empty buildings and 'shop local' campaigns to focus on the real issues: how the relationship between people and places is changing; how business is done and who benefits; and how the use and ownership of land affects us all. Written in an engaging and accessible style and illustrated with numerous original interviews, the book sets out a comprehensive and coherent agenda for long-term, citizen-led change. It will be a valuable resource for policymakers and researchers in planning, architecture and the built environment, economic development and community participation.

This book addresses the need for a comprehensive reappraisal of what it means to be a 'civic university'. For two decades the 'civic' agenda has been driven by a concern with economic impact and regional economic development. While recognising the importance of these aspects of universities' civic influence, there is a need to more comprehensively outline how universities can and should make a difference across a wide spectrum of place-based activity, against a background of intensifying global social and environmental challenges. Rooted in collaborative work by the Civic University Network and community-based partners, the book provides a clear logical framework that universities and their partners can use to examine the extent of their civic activities, but also challenges them to use that framework as a starting point for deeper reflection and engagement. It celebrates the actions universities have taken to respond to communities' needs, and encourages them to think more rigorously about what they can do in the future, and how they can become more accountable to the communities they serve. The book is an essential read for university leaders, academics involved in public engagement, and civic leaders and representatives who wish to develop closer engagement with their local universities.