Join the High Street Network
High streets play a huge role in our everyday lives, with 90 per cent of Londoners living within 10 minutes of a high street. They are home to 41 per cent of London’s businesses and nearly 1.5m jobs (before the COVID-19 pandemic). They also play a crucial social function.
London’s high streets face significant challenges, including the cost-of-living crisis, recovery from the pandemic, a long-term shift in working practices, changes to shopping habits and the climate crisis.
The High Street Network brings passionate individuals together to discuss and respond to these challenges, leading the conversation about creating more inclusive and sustainable places.
Who should join?
The High Street Network welcomes anyone interested in improving London’s high streets and town centres.
We particularly want to encourage organisations that advocate for under-represented groups.
You might work for a local authority, charity or community organisation. You might own a business or volunteer. You might be involved in research, education. You might be a built environment professional, landowner or a passionate resident.
You would join in the spirit of positive collaboration and knowledge sharing.
As a member of the High Street Network, you will:
- have access to the latest best practice, including case study visits
- gain access to research and data insights
- meet and partner with people and organisations across London, from councils, communities and the private sector
- bring visibility to your high street and your needs
- be at the forefront of discussions around future policy
- meet like minded people and have fun
The High Street Classroom
The High Street Classroom is a learning programme of events and activities. Treating London’s high streets as our classroom, we visit projects, learn from each other and collaborate on fresh ideas to help you deliver good growth for Londoners.
The High Street Classroom programme includes:
- visits to inspiring projects across London
- seminars on important high street topics
- working groups who come together to innovate and develop solutions to specific challenges
- social gatherings
High Street Network members will be invited to join the High Street Classroom, sharing their skills to work with us to develop and test new solutions.
Supporting London's high streets
We have been working on London's high streets for over a decade, providing support in the form of funding, research, guidance and partnerships to help high streets thrive. Key programmes include the Good Growth Fund, Good Growth by Design, Property X-Change, 24-hour London, the High Streets Data Service and Making Space for Culture.
We want to ensure that high streets continue to nurture businesses, jobs and opportunities and be places where people of different backgrounds come together.
High Street Stories
Our funding has supported boroughs, Business Improvement Districts and community groups across London.
The High Street for All Challenge delivered a range of improvements from long term strategies and pilot projects to community and cultural events.
All the projects demonstrated a need to work collaboratively to create meaningful change. With so many differing interests around high streets this is easier said than done, but local passion and a shared ambition to make high streets more inclusive – and, often, persistence - made it work.
Read more about the High Streets for All Challenge projects.
Need a document on this page in an accessible format?
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via our online form and tell us which format you need.
It will also help us if you tell us which assistive technology you use. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.