Theme: Value Creators of Tomorrow · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026

Retail alone is no longer enough to make people visit a town centre. Shopping, entertainment, food and social interaction can increasingly happen online, while many high streets are left asking what physical town centres are actually for.

What if empty spaces became studios, performance venues, creator hubs, learning spaces, health experiences or places to make rather than simply buy? How might culture, hospitality, technology, community activity and enterprise combine to create places people genuinely want to spend time in?

This project challenges the team to choose a real Ayrshire town or high street and imagine a new role for it. The focus should be on understanding the needs of users, businesses and communities before developing the concept.

The outcome could be a future-place concept, service model, meanwhile-use prototype, event format or commercial proposition.

If you are interested in art, design, business, music, film, tourism, community development or place-making, this project is for you!

Related tags: #high street #regeneration #place-making #creative industries #community