In Britain, shopping streets primarily for pedestrians have a long history. The earliest in this book dates from the thirteenth century. Many Victorian and later arcades are still extensively used, and the early post-1945 new towns carried on the tradition of providing some traffic-free shopping streets. However, in the conversion of traditional shopping streets to pedestrian precincts, and in the construction of enclosed shopping centres, Britain was a late starter. Were Germany's first conversion was in 1929, the USA's in 1959, and Britain's in 1967. Since then growth has been very rapid, so that there are few towns or cities now without a shopping precinct. This book investigates the number, type and location of these precints within the UK. It then considers their dimensions and the kinds of face-lift that most have received, providing a pleasant and safe environment in which to walk and shop. Chapter 1 looks at the way that various types of transport convey people and freight to and from the precinct. When people have reached it, further chapters consider how they behave, what attitudes they have to it, and how they spend their money. The main text concludes with a look at what the future might hold and comments on the contribution that precincts make to the needs of pedestrians in towns. Tables listing the 1304 known pedestrian streets, arcades or enclosed centres in the UK and an extensive bibliography are appended.
Abstract