Swansea with no Debenhams

[Best_loser]

At least the traffic system is a vast improvement to what it was

 

[westside]

Turn debenhams into a student night club

 

[Best_loser]

Turn debenhams into a student night club

Or an Amazon collection point

 

[JackSomething]

I think you're not far off the mark tbh. Times move on, the transition is moving very quickly, the current situation, is moving things along even quicker than expected. To think future generation won't know what it's like to go to the shops.

Some vestiges of traditional retail will remain, but city centre shopping in a lot of cities, particularly smaller ones like Swansea, will die a death. It's far easier to shop online or go to an out of town strip mall than lug into town, and many local authorities insane obsession with forcing people onto buses instead of making it easy to take a car shopping will finish the job.

We're going the way of the States, albeit a lot later than them (and with less land to work with). Most city centres over there are full of apartments, universities, offices and businesses that service the inhabitants of those buildings such as restaurants, bars and specialised retail. Supermarkets and large retailers are almost entirely on out-of-town locations. The rise of online shopping has accelerated this process in this country.

I don't give Swansea Council a credit for much, but they seemed to accept this quite a long time ago and started making plans to adapt. Some of those plans have failed because of economic circumstances and some because of ineptitude, but the building work going on in the city centre shows they are still trying to move with the times. If they keep going and get enough right, I think we may find ourselves in a better position than the likes of Cardiff in the future. Cardiff looks great at the moment, but they've tied their city centre to retail enough that current trends could leave it looking like a ghost town in the future.

 

[Dr. Winston]

We're going the way of the States, albeit a lot later than them (and with less land to work with). Most city centres over there are full of apartments, universities, offices and businesses that service the inhabitants of those buildings such as restaurants, bars and specialised retail. Supermarkets and large retailers are almost entirely on out-of-town locations.

Even a lot of the out of town malls are struggling in the US. It's like an entire industry is withering on the vine. Those that are slow to adapt, die. It's something I've mentioned before, but 3D printing will also have a big impact once they work the technology out. It seems to be somewhere in the vicinity that stuff like microwave ovens were back in the 60's. The potential for growth is stupendous.

I think we may find ourselves in a better position than the likes of Cardiff in the future. Cardiff looks great at the moment, but they've tied their city centre to retail enough that current trends could leave it looking like a ghost town in the future.

If we play our cards right definitely.

 

[PSumbler]

Given the queues outside Primark when I was in the city centre today I wouldnt be surprised to see them eyeing up that kind of location despite having a large store already you can see them wanting to move!

 

[Best_loser]

Given the queues outside Primark when I was in the city centre today I wouldnt be surprised to see them eyeing up that kind of location despite having a large store already you can see them wanting to move!

Good shout

 

[Jack2jack]

At least the traffic system is a vast improvement to what it was

True, but let's not forget who fvcked it up in the first place.
It's taken at least 3 goes to sort out West Way into some semblance of order.
The City centre has been referbed 3 times to my knowledge.
And who on earth came up with Castle Gardens, and closing off a main arterial route in Princess Way.
Don't get me wrong I think Rob Stewart is doing a fine job, and many schemes are great. Tawe bridges for example and Quay parade. Some planners need to have a word with themselves.

 

[JackSomething]

At least the traffic system is a vast improvement to what it was

True, but let's not forget who fvcked it up in the first place.
It's taken at least 3 goes to sort out West Way into some semblance of order.
The City centre has been referbed 3 times to my knowledge.
And who on earth came up with Castle Gardens, and closing off a main arterial route in Princess Way.
Don't get me wrong I think Rob Stewart is doing a fine job, and many schemes are great. Tawe bridges for example and Quay parade. Some planners need to have a word with themselves.

Fair post. It's like transfers at a football club, they get some right and some spectacularly wrong! It's not just planners though. Who in the council at the time made the final decision to take bendy buses at a time other cities were already getting rid of them? I'll never be convinced that money didn't grease some palms on that one.

 

[Dr. Winston]

The concept of the bendy bus route was great. Hospital to hospital via the University and rail/bus stations whilst passing through some of the most densely populated areas of the city. Should have been done well before it was.

Problem was they decided to use bendy buses when modern double deckers would have done the job just as well without necessitating the massive disruption involved.

I suspect the Kingsway changes would have happened anyway though. Swansea Council have never been able to resist mucking about with that.

 

[Jack2jack]

The concept of the bendy bus route was great. Hospital to hospital via the University and rail/bus stations whilst passing through some of the most densely populated areas of the city. Should have been done well before it was.

Problem was they decided to use bendy buses when modern double deckers would have done the job just as well without necessitating the massive disruption involved.

I suspect the Kingsway changes would have happened anyway though. Swansea Council have never been able to resist mucking about with that.

The bendy bus scheme was a disaster waiting to happen, and I said so at the time.
The whole concept was falling on its arse, and as said cities were getting shot, just as we came on board, so to speak.
The scheme was initially to run to Mumbles, but it was scuppered by lack of space for turning the damn thing, and other issues. Like you said what was wrong with ordinary buses, that could have easily done the same job. Waste of time and money imho.

 

[dickythorpe]

Bring back the tram.

 

[Jack2jack]

Bring back the tram.

Should have never got rid of it, but that's a given, but worth repeating.