Britain’s town centres: From resilience to transition

Abstract

‘Resilience’ has become a watchword in the discussion of local economies in general, and the state of UK town centres in particular. This paper argues for a shift in focus by researchers and practitioners from resilience to transition. While both concepts draw on complex adaptive systems theory, ‘transition’ emphasises the need to move to a changed state rather than a return to equilibrium. The paper draws on the author’s recently published ‘How to save our town centres’ to suggest what a discussion of transition might encompass.