Adaptive re-use of data for the adaptive re-use of high streets: building and scaling a local data service for London’s local authorities

Longer description:

Despite some media narratives on the decline of UK high streets, there are many examples of local community partnerships applying adaptive re-use strategies to imagine how traditional retail space can be repurposed to meet modern community needs. In London, this is supported by the High Streets Data Service and its adaptive re-use of big, private-sector data to deliver local, public-sector research and analysis.  

Borne out of the London-wide covid recovery effort, the High Streets Data Service is a collective data sharing partnership organised by the Greater London Authority on behalf of the city’s 33 local constituent authorities, 60+ Business Improvement Districts, and their research and community partners. The partnership collectively purchases London-wide datasets on consumer spend and visitor data from big companies and works directly and collaboratively with various community stakeholders to distil complex data into local, legible, and actionable insights.