"Everyone has a part to play in delivering the urban renaissance. Government at all levels must lead and enable, working in partnership with local communities, the voluntary sector and businesses"
Urban White Paper Summary

The Yorkshire Forward brokered partnership between West 8, John Thompson and the citizens of Scarborough began almost a year ago. Gathering momentum with the Community Planning Weekend in April 2002, Scarborians questioned what future form they wished Scarborough to take and what their dreams were for reinvigorating their town.

Many of the issues and concerns that the people of Scarborough brought forward during the planning weekend were related to public space in the town. Structural improvements in this public domain will help Scarborough towards an urban renaissance. The problems related to public space that came forward from the planning weekend were:

• The USE of spaces and the absence of a town square
• The SAFETY of the town's public spaces. Many of Scarborough's spaces are considered unsafe.
• The domination of TRAFFIC and the lack of space and safety for pedestrians
• The space consumed by car PARKING and the related accessibility of the town centre
• The level of MAINTENANCE of public spaces; many of Scarborough's public spaces are in decay.

The summation of the feeling in the town is one that recognises the need for Scarborough to let go of the past and move on from an image of a traditional seaside resort town to a high quality town by the sea.

Therefore West 8 have focused on public space and its implications, while John Thompson and Partners have concentrated on the broader issues involved in producing a town-wide master plan. Through the Town Team, the Consultants, the Urban Space Action Group and Scarborough Borough Council, the initial questioning of the Community Planning Weekend has been distilled down into a Public Space Framework Plan.
A Plan with the ambition of re-igniting Scarborough's urban life.

This Framework plan is the result of much discussion between the above parties. Monthly Town Team meetings, bi-monthly Urban Space Group meetings, the specially formed Urban Space Taskforce, Council meetings and some quiet gossip on the side has all fed into the process, informing the consultants about what was particular and peculiar to Scarborough.