Aberdeen’s effort to save its High Street shows what town centres must change to survive

Background: what happened to Union Street

Vacant units reduce a town centre's appeal and can trigger a downward spiral: fewer visitors lead to fewer takers for remaining shops, which discourages investment and can encourage anti-social behaviour. Property and retail analytics cited in local reporting put current High Street vacancy at about one in eight properties across Britain. Town centre experts estimate there may be 20–40% too much retail space in many places.

A fundamental obstacle is fractured ownership. Individual streets often have dozens of landlords, sometimes through opaque company structures, which slows decision-making on redevelopment. Many empty units also need substantial modernisation before a tenant will sign up. At the same time, costs for running a High Street business have risen — employment and business-rate burdens make new lettings riskier unless footfall and spending increase.

The local response began as a community-led effort after union street hit rock bottom in 2022. Our Union Street coalition audited every property, mapped ownership and vacancy reasons, and logged the condition of upper floors. Volunteers cleaned and tidied the street and offered to refresh empty shopfronts to make them more attractive to prospective tenants.

The coalition's organising model combines:

• A detailed, unit-by-unit audit to understand who owns what and why units are empty.
• Low-cost activation: painting, cleaning, and basic maintenance to reduce the visual deterrent of boarded windows.
• Partnership with letting agents, landlords, businesses and the council to coordinate offers and fill units.
• Civic engagement: collecting thousands of resident responses to shape priorities and restore pride in the city centre.

Council investment and experience-led strategy

Alongside volunteer action, the council has committed tens of millions to make the centre a destination again. This includes development of an indoor food and drink market and major seafront redevelopment. The city is leaning into the experience economy to attract visitors and extend dwell time in the centre.

• Start with an audit. Know each property's status and ownership before planning interventions.
• Use short-term, low-cost activation to reduce the visual effects of vacancy and signal momentum to investors.
• Coordinate across stakeholders: a single coalition or project team reduces friction between landlords, agents and the council.
• Pair short-term fixes with medium-term public investment in destination projects that increase footfall.

Aberdeen's approach does not claim a silver bullet. As a former government adviser put it, if a silver bullet existed, it "would have been fired years ago." But the city's mix of grassroots action and targeted council spending offers a practical blueprint for places that need to change or face prolonged decline.