Market Town

Presentation by Nick Slater, Director of LU Arts at Loughborough Universty, at the Urban Perspectives on Design Literacy Summer School at Loughborough University, 20–21 June 2019. Nick reflected on Market Town, an 18 month project that invited architects, artists and designers to respond to recommendations outlined within the Portas Review around the future of our town centres. Six projects were developed in Loughborough, a Portas Pilot town, each of which sought playful and imaginative ways to improve the town centre economy. Alongside these commissions there was a pop up shop that engaged the community in the future design and use of the town, and a series of workshops and discussions that sought to further activate the community in engaging with the issues faced.