Our City Centre York open community brief

We've brought together overarching 'themes' raised from previous engagement and consultations in the Our City Centre York project (previously named the My City Centre York project); (see the results of the original My City Centre York consultation) and used these to continue the My City Centre York conversation, whilst also considering the new challenges and opportunities COVID-19 has presented to the city centre.

The themes covered by engagement cover all areas life, leisure, and work in York, including:

• buildings and spaces
• events and markets
• our high streets
• our riversides
• our relationship with tourism
• how we access the city centre
• evening economy
• our efforts to remain family friendly

Understanding perspectives of diverse individuals and communities

We've engaged with a range of York residents, businesses and groups on the My City Centre York 'themes' to help shape our vision and better understand the perspectives of the diverse individuals and communities that make York.

Find out more about:

• engagement with groups and organisations
• engagement with stakeholders
• engagement with residents
• digital engagement

Engagement with groups and organisations

As part of engagement work, we met with a wide range of groups and organisations, including:

• York BID board
• Ward committees, including Guildhall
• York Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association
• York Trader’s Association Roundtable
• Business Leaders Network
• Indie York
• The Property/Retail forum
• York Carers Action Group
• York Retail Forum
• North Yorkshire Police
• Canal & River Trust
• York St. John University
• University of York
• York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

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Engagement with stakeholders

In order to help shape the engagement approach and vision, a My City Centre stakeholder group was formed. The group features members from a variety of partner organisations, such as:

• York BID
• York CVS
• York Civic Trust
• York Minster
• York Property Forum
• York Museums Trust
• York Hospitality Association
• York Food and Drink Festival
• Make It York

Members of the stakeholder group provide different perspectives on the city centre and have been able to provide valuable feedback on the My City Centre engagement work that has already been undertaken.

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Engagement with residents

We also wanted to involve residents of different ages (including young people) and from different parts of the city in the conversations around the city centre.

Students from the University of York took part in the Transform Challenge, where 30 students engaging in debates around the challenges and opportunities facing York’s city centre.

Targeted social media took place to further the My City Centre conversation. We asked thought-provoking and engaging questions to York residents on social media.

1,346 people responded to the My City Centre resident survey (published alongside a specific 'business survey'), which was advertised online and in the council publication Our City, which is delivered to every household in York.

Map showing location of survey respondents

Three quarters of the total respondents were York residents, with a quarter living in the city centre itself.

• 206 locations had 1 to 2 respondents (palest points on the map)
• 89 locations had 2 to 3 respondents
• 36 locations had 3 to 4 respondents
• 14 locations had 4 to 5 respondents
• 14 locations had 5 to 10 respondents (darkest points on the map)

A total of 1050 respondents indicated their age range:

• 3% were aged 16 to 24 years
• 19% were aged 25 to 39 years
• 26% were aged 40 to 55 years
• 8% were aged 56 to 59 years
• 12% were aged 60 to 64 years
• 29% were aged 65+ years

While older people are over-represented, the second phase of engagement will better target young people, taking advantage of the lighter restrictions to use more direct engagement like face to face meetings.

A total of 764 respondents indicated their ethnic group:

• 90% answered White - English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British
• 4% answered White - other background
• 1% answered white - Irish
• 1% answered Mixed - White and Asian
• 1% answered Any other Mixed/multiple ethnic background
• 3% answered prefer not to say

A total of 1027 respondents indicated their gender:

• 42% answered male
• 56% answered female
• 1% answered Non-binary/Gender variant
• 1% answered prefer not to say

A total of 759 respondents indicated their religion or belief:

• 55% answered no religion
• 34% answered Christian
• 1% answered Buddhist
• 4% answered other
• 6% answered prefer not to say

A total of 761 respondents indicated their employment status:

• 46% answered full time
• 17% answered part time
• 4% answered unemployed
• 33% answered other (including retired, self employed, student and unable to work due to health/disability)

A total of 757 respondents indicated their carer status:

• 89% answered not a carer
• 10% answered carers
• 1% answered prefer not to say

A total of 1088 respondents indicated their disability status:

• 80% answered not disabled
• 16% answered disabled
• 5% answered prefer not to say

A total of 116 respondents answered yes to being disabled, and indicated their disability:

• 58% answered physical impairment
• 47% answered long-standing illness or health condition (not asked in paper survey)
• 25% answered mental health condition
• 18% answered sensory impairment
• 4% answered learning disability

A total of 340 respondents indicated their Blue Badge status:

• 79% did not have a blue badge
• 21% had a blue badge

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Digital engagement

To bolster the survey and meeting engagement, wide-ranging conversations were held across social media. Activity was designed to unpick key themes around the My City Centre conversation. See a summary of digital engagement activity.

‘My City Centre Voices’, a series of vox pop videos, were also developed, which brought together a variety of perspectives on York’s city centre from city partners and advocates, such as Professor Kiran Trehan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Partnerships and Engagement, who explained the role the Guildhall will play in York’s city centre, and Emily Pickard from York Mumbler, who discussed opportunities to improve York’s family friendly appeal and facilities.

View the videos on our YouTube channel.

A My City Centre debate and Q&A was also held on our Facebook channel. This brought together key stakeholders for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing York’s city centre and featured stakeholders from York BID, Indie York, York Property Forum, Spark:York and York Mumbler, alongside the council.

On a weekly basis, our social media channels were also used to ask thought-provoking and open questions about the city centre, asking residents to tell us: what they loved about York city centre, what they would change and what they would like to do. A large number of residents commented on social media posts which helped to produce a significant amount of qualitative data to complement the My City Centre survey.

Summary of digital engagement activity

My City Centre York social media accounts were used, alongside our corporate social media accounts, and press coverage, as part of digital engagement activity.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

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My City Centre York ongoing engagement

While city centre engagement has been extensive to date, this is an ongoing conversation and we are still eager to hear more perspectives.

We're publishing this My City Centre York 'open brief' alongside some of the key talking points and ideas which have emerged from the first round of engagement.

By taking a closer look at 'key questions' in each of the themes covered by engagement, we can test that we’re heading in the right directions, and welcome new voices to the conversation.

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Also see

• Our City Centre York Vision
• Get involved with Our City Centre York