Activating High Streets Challenge

Activating High Streets Challenge

What was the Activating High Streets Challenge?

We worked with the Mayor of London to design and deliver the Mayor’s Resilience Fund which included two phases:

  • Open call for local authorities, government agencies and charities in London to partner with us as problem-holders (2020)
  • Designed and delivered 10 city-based challenges (2021)

The Mayor’s Resilience Fund was funded by the London Economic Action Partnership. The Activating High Streets Challenge was delivered in partnership with Ealing Borough, Love Pitshanger, Make it Ealing and Your Acton.

What was this challenge about?

The Activating High Streets Challenge aimed to create a data service that will aggregate multiple data sources related to vacant properties on high streets to enable the utilisation and occupation of empty spaces.

Where was it focused?

Town Centres and high streets across the London Borough of Ealing.

Who were the end users?

Local businesses, boroughs, business improvement districts, traders associations and organisations with an interest in activating vacant units on high streets.

This challenge was delivered in partnership with

  • Ealing Borough logo
  • Love Pitshanger logo
  • Make it Ealing logo - Promoting local businesses to local people
  • Your Acton logo - Business Improvement District

Who won the Challenge?

Sqwyre by Whythawk, a commercial location database supporting research into business properties, won the Challenge. They will be working with local government and high-street stakeholders to develop their data service to contribute to reducing vacancy rates.

The finalists

Sqwyre logo

Sqwyre by Whythawk

Sqwyre.com is a commercial location database supporting research into business properties. They aggregate open data on rents, staff numbers and salaries, vacancies, and economic activity.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SQWYRE

Remarkable City logo

Vacancy Visualizer by Remarkable City

The Vacancy Visualiser will help councils, businesses and the wider community to find vacant commercial properties that meet their needs.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE VACANCY VISUALIZER

Nquiringminds logo

Economic Analyser by Nquiringminds

Nquiringminds’ Economic Analyser applies advanced analytics, statistical techniques and visualisations to the problem of local economic planning of high streets.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NQUIRING MINDS

Noggin Property logo

Noggin Property by Ethos VO

Noggin Property offers a new way to collect and share commercial property data; to give an up-to-date understanding and complete overview of high street properties.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NOGGIN PROPERTY