Businesses as the acupuncture for local regeneration

A funny thing's happened in my street. A row of pretty dilapidated shop fronts that has blighted the area for all of the 10 years I've lived there, is starting to finally change. And the reason seems pretty simple to me. It's because of Julie. Julie took a risk, a calculated one because she's not stupid and did her research properly, and it's paid off. Now, having run a small deli for a couple of years she's just opened a cafe next door. And guess what? It looks like the boarded up pub in the same road has been taken over by a gastro pub chef!

In my day job, we're desperately trying to regenerate Mornington Crescent. And though the council are being very supportive and we've even discussed doing something with the public library down there, the biggest problem is the guy who owns two burnt-out buildings on the High Street's refusal to do anything with them and the effect these are having on the area.

My point is that it's actually the businesses in an area that can make the real difference to somewhere. And if they get their intervention, or acupuncture, right the whole area can benefit - or suffer. So shouldn't we be targeting sensible businesses in order to support them in the right circumstances? If only we could find them..... See earlier post.